Caelestis
by MissLindaLee
Summary: Deck the halls with love and danger . . . . Eighth story in Angelica Corusca. FINISHED
1. Chapter 1

The weather was a chilly twenty-degrees, but the Saturday afternoon sun shone brightly out Linda's bedroom window, deceiving the world that it was a lot warmer than it looked. Inside the young girl's bedroom it was toasty warm, but Linda still wore soft blue jeans and a hand knit lavender sweater, her hair pulled back with a black headband. She sat cross-legged on her bed, a bunch of color photographs spread out in front of her. She picked up one of the photos and smiled slightly, remembering what happened the day those pictures were taken.  
  
- - - -  
  
It was the Saturday morning following Jimmy and Linda's fight, and the young girl was still in a deep funk. She had hardly spoken to anyone, even avoided being around her family as much as possible, but Dick finally took the initiative and shooed Linda away to the loft to talk with his new friend privately. After some gentle prodding he managed to find out what was bothering the young girl as she poured her heart out to him about the entire fight between her and Jimmy, including the part about him knowing who she really was.  
  
As he listened, Dick could feel his own opinions about the situation forming, but he kept them to himself. He just offered Linda a shoulder for her to lean on, and - after she was finished talking - a promise that what she told him would remain a secret between them. Grateful for that promise, Linda hugged Dick, and the two teens promised to stay in touch, exchanging email addresses before heading back to the house.  
  
Alfred was already loading suitcases into the trunk of the limo while Bruce talked with the Kents. It was time for the Gothamites to return to their home, and Linda was a little put off by the fact that everyone knew why Bruce had really come to visit but her, and she voiced her opinion about that to them. Dick nudged her with his elbow and quietly reminded her that he didn't know as well. Linda was still a little huffy as she watched the scene before her, then she tilted her head slightly, trying to take in everything to remember it long after that moment had passed.  
  
After a few moments an idea came to her, and she walked over to her father. She pulled him aside and talked to him in a low voice. He listened patiently, and when she was finished he smiled down at her and nodded. Smiling for the first time since the fight Linda blurred into the house and returned a second later, Jonathan's camera in her hands. It wasn't anything fancy like Jimmy's, so it was easy for her to figure out, and within seconds she was snapping pictures, immortalizing the entire scene and events around her in a way she knew she'd remember forever.  
  
- - - -  
  
The young girl stared at the photo in her hands. In it, Bruce and Dick were heading to the limo, their backs to the camera, and Bruce had his arm around the young boy's shoulders. It was the first time Dick didn't flinch under Bruce's touch. Linda knew they still had a long way to go, but that moment was such a huge step in their relationship, and Linda knew they were going to eventually be okay. She put the photo down and looked at the others, marveling at how colorful her photos were. She wondered what Jimmy would think of them, but then she remembered that they weren't speaking to each other. Linda shut her eyes tightly, trying not to cry, willing herself not to break down. A knock on her door, and she was shaken from her stupor as she looked up.  
  
"Come in," she said softly.  
  
The door opened, and Clark poked his head in, smiling. "Hey, Short Stack," he said. "You busy?"  
  
"No, come on in," Linda replied, gathering up the photos. Clark came in, carrying a mug of hot cocoa, with melted marshmallows floating on top. He walked over and sat down beside his cousin. "Gotcha some cocoa, just the way you like it."  
  
"Thanks," Linda replied. She reached for the mug, but then she stopped. She glanced up at Clark, furrowing her eyebrows as she pulled her hands back. "On second thought, I'm not that thirsty."  
  
"Linda, it's hot cocoa," Clark replied.  
  
"No, Clark," Linda replied. "It's a bribe."  
  
"It is not," Clark said, offended.  
  
"Oh, come on, Clark," Linda replied loudly as she got to her feet. "I may have been on Earth for a only few months, but I'm not stupid."  
  
"Linda," Clark said as he put the mug on the nightstand, "why won't you talk to us? Why won't you tell us what happened?"  
  
"Because it's between Jimmy and me," Linda replied. "Why won't you just leave it at that and let us work it out ourselves?"  
  
"Because you two haven't spoken since your fight," a familiar voice said. Linda turned around and saw her parents standing just in the doorway. It was Jonathan who had spoken. "And the last time I checked, avoiding each other is not ideal in trying to fix a relationship."  
  
"Tell that to Jimmy," Linda replied. [And yourselves.]  
  
[Linda, that was uncalled for,] Clark said, frowning at her.  
  
Linda took a deep breath. "Look, I appreciate the concern," she said, "but this is between Jimmy and me, and that's where it's going to stay." She started out of the room, but Jonathan and Martha wouldn't move. "May I be excused?"  
  
"Where are you going?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Out," Linda replied. "I need to be by myself for a while to just think . . . I haven't had that chance, because everyone is pestering me to talk to them, and I really don't feel like doing that." Martha and Jonathan glanced at each other. After a few moments, the two stepped aside.  
  
"Will you promise to be back in time to do your chores?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Yes," Linda replied. "I promise."  
  
"And be careful," Martha added.  
  
"Here," Clark said as he got up and walked over to his cousin. He handed her his cell phone. "Just in case."  
  
"Thanks," Linda replied. She took the phone before heading out of her room, leaving her parents and Clark standing there, wondering in silence if they were doing the right thing.  
  
- - - -  
  
Linda silently wandered into the Kawatche caves. With her visual acuity, she had no problems seeing in the dark. It was ironic, really. Back on Argo City she was frightened by the darkness and silence, but in the caves, it was almost peaceful, even from her last encounter in the caves with her biological father. It was almost like a personal refuge for her. The young girl sighed as she glanced at the walls, at the colorful drawings and symbols, remembering what each of them meant from Clark's stories.  
  
"I was wondering when you and I would cross paths," a male voice intoned. Linda whirled around and saw the silhouette of a man standing behind her. "It is an honor to finally meet you . . . Nevaeh."  
  
(End of Chapter 1) 


	2. Chapter 2

- - - -  
Clark was at his desk at the Planet, reading a police report about a murder. He hated coming in on the weekend to investigate any murder, but this one in particular disturbed him. The victim was a local politician, the third one who had been murdered in the past three weeks. What was most disturbing was the way the victim had been killed: it had been a vicious, painful death, the murder weapon - a toy. In this case, a large toy soldier was found near the body, the small gun designed to fire real bullets; one was found in the victim's heart. Clark sighed. There was no obvious connection to the three murders, aside from their political positions . . . and it was frustrating the young man.  
"Any luck?" Clark looked up and saw Lois as she walked over. He watched her, surprised, as she came over and sat beside him. "What are you doing here?" Lois sympathetically leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Well, you seemed bothered by this yesterday, so I figured you'd be here." "Didn't you have plans with your family?" Clark asked.  
Lois shrugged. "Lucy and I had another fight last night," Lois replied. "She doesn't like being told to go to a shrink - especially by her sister." "Not too many people do," Clark said. He'd felt bad when Lois told him Lucy was going to therapy in the hope of figuring out her recent behavior, especially with Jimmy and Linda.  
Lois shrugged. "Hopefully we'll have some breakthrough before Christmas." She noticed Clark's sympathetic expression. "Oh, don't give me that, Kent." "What?" "You got your own problems," Lois replied. She hesitated. "Any luck with Linda?" Clark shook his head. "She's keeping her mouth shut." And her mind, he thought. "She doesn't want to talk to me. In fact, when I brought in some cocoa to her room earlier today, she brushed me off and left." It was Lois' turn to look sympathetic. "She'll open up, Clark. You two have a special relationship; you seem to be able to talk to each other about anything." "Except this," Clark replied. He leaned back and sighed. "It's just so frustrating." "Yeah," Lois said wryly. "You know how hard it is to get my messages now that Jimmy isn't really speaking to you, Chloe, and me?" Clark gave her a look. "Just kidding, Clark." She glanced at the paperwork on his desk. "Come on, you need a break, and I'm hungry." Clark couldn't help but smile a bit as Lois plucked the report from his hands, put it on the desk, and pulled him to his feet. "You know," he said as they headed for the elevators, "you can't blame him for being mad at you and Chloe. You two did kinda invade his personal space." Lois sighed. "And we apologized, Clark. I don't see why he's holding a three-week grudge." "Must be a Lane girl something," Clark replied. "He held one against Lucy for months." Lois glowered a bit at Clark's response. She had hoped he would take her side, but she knew he wouldn't. She sighed and dropped the matter as they reached the elevators, concentrating on more important matters - like what she was going to eat.  
- - - -  
Linda furrowed her eyebrows at the man. "Who are you?" she asked, slowly backing away, formulating a plan of action if she needed one.  
The man nodded reverently. "My name is Joseph Willowbrook. Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you, Nevaeh." "My name is Linda," the young girl replied. "And I have no idea what you want, but I want to be left alone. Now, please leave." Joseph walked over to her, and Linda tensed, but he smiled warmly at her. He didn't say anything as he just stared at her.  
"What is it about my height?" Linda asked, frustrated, hearing his thoughts. She tensed as she glanced at him, scared that he'd be curious about her knowing something before it had been spoken, but he didn't seem weirded out at all.  
"I would have thought you'd be taller," Joseph replied calmly, "but then again, Naman was five hundred years late, so I suppose I must accept you as you are. Appearance is deceiving, Neveah. You, of all people, should know that." "Why are you calling me that?" Linda asked.  
"It is who you are." Linda raised an eyebrow as she carefully reached for the cell phone in her jeans pocket, trying not to make sudden moves. She backed away slowly as she flipped it opened and dialed the farm's number. She listened as she heard the ringing, then Jonathan answered. "Daddy, I need help . . . um, well, I don't know . . . I'm in the caves, and there's this old guy here calling me this weird name and talking about someone named Naman . . . ." Her eyebrows shot off her head. "Are you sure . . . okay . . . ." She slowly closed the phone and put it away. She glanced warily up at Joseph. "My dad said he wanted us to stay here and wait for him . . . he said it's been a while since he's seen you." She furrowed her eyebrows. "And he sounded happy." (End of Chapter 2) 


	3. Chapter 3

- - - -  
  
Jonathan and Martha carefully made their way over the rocky terrain as they urgently hurried into the caves. Jonathan was still trying to process what his daughter had told him earlier. Joseph Willowbrook was back . . . . Jonathan had pretended to be happy about it, because he didn't want to worry his daughter, but the farmer wasn't sure what to think about Joseph.

The last two times the Kawatche man had been involved in the Kents' lives had some disaster tagging along, the last one being with his son getting gutted by a Kryptonian knife. Jonathan would be damned if he let anything like that happen to his baby girl.  
  
"Linda!" he called out. The Kents walked around a bend and saw Linda standing with Joseph. They hurried over to their daughter, and both of them stood between her and Joseph, staring at the older man with extreme caution.  
  
"Mr. Willowbrook," Jonathan said, trying to be polite. "It's been a long time."  
  
"Yes, it has," Joseph replied. "How is Naman these days?"  
  
"Who is Naman?" Linda demanded. She indicated Joseph. "He won't tell me anything."  
  
"You know who Naman is, Nevaeh," Jospeh said calmly. "Just clear your mind, and it will come to you."  
  
"And he keeps calling me that weird name," Linda added. "Now, would someone please tell me what is going on?" The Kents eyed each other . . . this was a new development they weren't ready for.  
  
"Mr. Willowbrook," Martha said cautiously, "why are you here?"  
  
"Because it is time," Joseph Willowbrook answered.  
  
"Time for what?" Jonathan asked.  
  
Joseph simply smiled and walked toward the back of the caves. He stopped in a corner that was tucked into the rocks, almost completely hidden from view. He indicated the wall while looking right at Linda. "What do you see?" he asked.  
  
"A blank wall," Linda replied coolly, crossing her arms. "What do you see?"  
  
"A future," Joseph replied, "hidden from the world. According to my ancestors, there once were drawings on this cave wall. They disappeared quite some time ago." He looked at the Kents. "Roughly three months after a mysterious explosion on your farm, to be exact." The Kents tensed, and Linda immediately noticed.  
  
"What happened?" Linda asked.  
  
"Don't worry about it, sweetie," Jonathan answered. He looked down at her and gave her a look that said 'and don't even think about scanning my mind, or you're grounded.' He looked back at Joseph. "Mr. Willowbrook, I know you were friends with our son, but why are you bothering our daughter?"  
  
"I am simply trying to reveal to her what her destiny is," Joseph replied calmly. "Just as I revealed your son's destiny to him."  
  
"What about Clark?" Linda asked. Then it clicked, and her eyes widened. "Clark is Naman . . . ."  
  
"Nevaeh is seeing through open eyes," Jospeh replied, smiling. "Now, it is time for you to embrace your destiny, just as he has embraced his." He noticed her confused expression. "And, yes, Nevaeh, I know that you possess the same abilities as him."  
  
Linda's expression changed from one of surprise and shock to anger as she frowned, her eyes narrowing, her lips set straight. "How dare you," she said in a low voice. The Kents looked down and saw Linda's expression.  
  
"Linda, honey, what's wrong?" Martha asked.  
  
"Who do you think you are?" Linda asked. "I don't even know you, and you come waltzing into my life out of nowhere to tell me how my life is going to turn out?"  
  
"It was prophesized five hundred years ago," Joseph replied calmly. He slowly walked over to the trio. "Naman felt the same way when he was presented with his destiny, but he -"  
  
"I don't care what Clark felt or did," Linda interrupted. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not Clark. I may have his abilities, but that doesn't mean I'm going to grow up to be like him, okay?"  
  
"Linda, honey, calm down," Jonathan said, putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder.  
  
"I spent fifteen years being told what I was going to grow up and be," Linda continued, glaring right at Joseph, ignoring her father. "Stupid, worthless, and weak. I came here to get away from that, to have my own life and destiny, and I don't care who you are. My biological parents had no right to tell what I was going to be - and neither do you." She blurred out of the caves, leaving the three adults in a daze.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jimmy opened the door to the apartment building and walked out, his camera bag slung on his shoulder, dressed warmly in his favorite jacket and gloves. He had finished his homework and was heading out to do one of his favorite weekend hobbies: capture the people of Metropolis. He didn't get paid for it - it was just something that he loved doing.  
  
The young photographer shut the door behind him and turned to face the world before him, breathing in the cold city air, letting it fill his lungs, and letting it out slowly, smiling. Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned. Standing across the street, just inside the alley across his apartment building, was Linda. She just stared at him, and Jimmy could even see from that distance how distraught she was, the sun glistening on fresh tears as they fell down her cheeks.  
  
In that instant, all his anger toward her was forgotten. He couldn't even remember why he was standing outside his building. All that mattered to him in that moment was getting to her, finding out what the problem was, and - whatever was bothering her - fix it. He hurried down the steps and started across the street, but a large moving truck drove past him. It was going rather fast on a city street, but it could have been crawling along on a snail's pace. Jimmy tapped his foot impatiently, waiting. When the truck finally passed he hurried across the street, but he stopped short halfway across. Linda wasn't standing in the alley anymore; she had disappeared.  
  
The young photographer knew she couldn't have flown away, but he knew she could have easily sped off while the truck was blocking his view of her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Even after three weeks of knowing her secret he still found himself a little off kilter knowing she was capable of something like that. A horn honked loudly, causing him to jump a few inches. He quickly hurried to the other side of the street and stopped to collect his thoughts, trying to figure out what he should do. He wanted to go after her, to find out what was bothering her, but he knew where she was probably heading. He looked down the street, saw what he was looking for, and whistled the taxi over.  
  
(End of Chapter 3)


	4. Chapter 4

- - - -  
  
Clark and Lois walked down the hall to Clark's apartment, talking and laughing. They had just finished lunch - Lois' treat - and now Lois was making sure Clark didn't work on the story any more for the rest of the weekend. Clark had promised to follow her wishes, protesting that he didn't need to be walked to his door, but Lois told him she didn't want him sneaking out to go investigate the story on his own - after she admitted she'd do the same in his position, and she knew he'd be lecturing her (she knew the last thing he'd want to hear from her is a lecture, and that's why he really promised not to leave his apartment for the rest of the day). Clark unlocked his door and said goodbye to Lois, but she stayed put until he was inside his apartment, door closed and locked (she didn't leave until she heard the lock; he checked with his x-ray vision).  
  
Clark chuckled to himself, thinking how right she was, when his super hearing picked up the sounds of muffled crying and sniffling. He headed for the balcony, undoing the buttons on his shirt, when he realized the crying was coming from his bedroom. He tensed as he turned and faced his bedroom door. He listened intently, furrowing his eyebrows, and after a few moments he recognized the specific sounds--he'd know those hiccups anywhere. Without hesitation he hurried to his bedroom and flung open the door, then he stopped short.  
  
Linda was sitting cross-legged on his thick comforter, one of his Superman costumes spread out in front of her. She held the top part of his tights in her hands as she stared at the large S-shield, tears falling down her cheeks onto the red and yellow fabric. Clark tilted his head. He was confused as to why she was there in the first place, but he was more concerned as to why she was crying. He slowly walked over, careful not to spook her and carefully sat down beside her. She didn't even act like she knew he was there.  
  
"Linda?" he asked softly.  
  
"I don't want to do it," Linda whispered.  
  
"Do what?" Clark asked.  
  
"This," Linda replied, holding up the shield. "I don't want to be this!"  
  
Clark was really confused. "Honey, what are you talking about?"  
  
"I went to the caves," Linda said, "and this person named Joseph talked to me, and he . . . he . . . he . . . I . . . ."  
  
Clark put an arm around her shoulders. "Just calm down and take a deep breath, Linda." Linda slowly followed her cousin's instructions. "Good girl. Now, tell me what happened."  
  
"I went to the caves," Linda said slowly and slightly more collected than the last time, "and this person named Joseph talked to me, and he called me Nevaeh, and he said that there were paintings on the cave walls, and that I was going to be like Naman, who I guess must be you, and that I needed to embrace my destiny."  
  
Clark raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard from Joseph in years - in all honesty, he thought the professor was dead. And he couldn't remember sign of anyone else in the cave drawings, aside from Lex. The reporter really wanted to ask her more questions, but that would have to wait. He had other things to take care of first. He sighed and gently took his costume from Linda's hands, put it aside, and gently picked up Linda, gathering her into his arms, cradling her as she curled into his chest, resting her head on his shoulder, just under his neck.  
  
"I've spent my entire life having people tell me what I was going to be when I was grown up," Linda whispered, sniffling. "I just want to be me."  
  
"And you can here," Clark replied softly.  
  
"Then why did Joseph tell me what I was going to be?" Linda asked.  
  
Clark sighed. "Joseph tends to . . . be really passionate about things regarding the caves."  
  
"Why?" Linda asked.  
  
"It's a long story," Clark answered. He used his finger and gently tilted Linda's chin up, looking into her eyes. "But no matter what, no one can tell you who you're going to be when you grow up. That's totally up to you."  
  
"Really?" Linda asked.  
  
"Really," Clark replied. He saw Linda's troubled expression. "What is it, Linda?"  
  
"Do I have to be a hero?" she asked quietly.  
  
The question surprised Clark. He never told this to anyone, but ever since Linda had come into their lives his prayer of finally having someone like him had been answered. He had dreamed of her working alongside him - much later, when she was grown up, of course - and they would fly together, stop criminals . . . . Hearing that Linda didn't want to do that really hurt the young man, but he knew it was Linda's life - and not even he had the right to tell her what he wanted her to do when she was older. He smiled, trying not to show his pain to her and upset her more.  
  
"No, sweetie," he replied. "You don't have to be a hero if you don't want to."  
  
"Will you be mad at me?" Linda asked cautiously.  
  
"No, of course not," Clark replied. "You do whatever makes you happy . . . no matter what other people say or think." He looked down and noticed she was starting to nod off as she leaned against him. The reporter knew that he'd have to call their parents and let them know where Linda was (he had a good feeling she didn't tell them), but he had cousinly duties to tend to first.  
  
Linda had completely dozed off in Clark's arms. Clark glanced around for his afghan, but he quickly realized it was in the living room. He didn't want to leave her or disturb her by moving her, so he carefully leaned over and grabbed his cape, draping the red fabric over Linda's shoulders and tucking it around her, then he just leaned back and held her in his arms as she slept.  
  
- - - -  
  
Clark stirred to a jarring sound. He opened his eyes and groggily looked around, trying to get his bearings. It didn't take him long to realize what was going, and that someone was knocking on his door. Linda stirred and moaned softly, but she didn't open her eyes. Clark smiled and kissed her forehead before shifting her around carefully until she was laying on her back on his bed, the cape still tucked in around her. The reporter got to his feet and left the room, closing the door softly behind him before heading to the front door. He looked through the peephole and saw Jimmy standing on the other side. Clark was a little surprised by the young photographer's appearance, but he opened the door.  
  
"Jimmy," he said softly, so as not to wake up his cousin. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"How's Linda?" Jimmy asked. "Is she okay?"  
  
Clark tilted his head. He knew that Jimmy's questions meant either Linda went to Jimmy before coming to see Clark . . . or that Jimmy's radar was very finely tuned. Either way, Clark was very surprised. "Uh, excuse me?" he asked, more from of being surprised than evasiveness.  
  
"Look, Clark, I don't have time to repeat everything," Jimmy replied. "You heard what I said."  
  
Clark stopped and raised his eyebrows. Jimmy was being more direct than Clark had ever remembered him being. He had a few things on his mind, but he knew he needed to answer Jimmy's questions - without drawing attention. "Well," he said, "she was upset but now she's fine, and she's resting." That was the truth. He took a deep breath. It had been three weeks since he and Jimmy had spoken outside the office, but the young photographer's appearance at his door proved that the old Jimmy was still there: someone who cared about others. Clark found his hackles fading slightly, though he was still trying to decide how he should feel about this new Jimmy. "Uh, look, thanks for trying to ride to her rescue. I do appreciate that."  
  
"Do you?" Jimmy asked.  
  
Clark sighed. He was so tempted to get in Jimmy's head and find out what was going on with the teen and why he was avoiding everyone, but he knew he couldn't. "Yeah, I do," Clark replied simply. He paused. "Look, Jimmy, I don't know what's going on, but maybe we should talk."  
  
"Maybe you should get back in there and take care of your cousin," Jimmy replied. "I did what I came here to do." He turned on his heels and walked away.  
  
Clark watched, impressed but curious at the same time. Yep, he thought as he turned around and closed the door. There definitely was a new Jimmy in town . . . and Clark wasn't sure what to make of him.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jonathan and Martha had spent almost two hours looking for Linda in Smallville with Pete helping them, but they found nothing, so the Kents came home, knowing they needed to call in a certain reinforcement, while Pete continued searching. The phone rang as they came into the house, and they hurried over. Jonathan picked it up one the first ring.  
  
"Linda?" Jonathan asked, slightly out of breath.  
  
"Uh, sorry," Jimmy replied.  
  
"Jimmy?" Jonathan asked, slightly confused. They hadn't spoken with the teen since before Jimmy and Linda had fought.  
  
"Look, uh, sorry to bother you," Jimmy replied, "but I thought you might like to know that Linda's safe with Clark."  
  
"In Metropolis?" Jonathan asked. Martha furrowed her eyebrows and leaned over, listening in on the conversation.  
  
"Yeah," Jimmy replied. "I saw her briefly, and I took a guess at where she was going."  
  
The Kents glanced at each other, briefly. Even though Jimmy didn't say it, they knew he had followed to make sure she was okay.  
  
"Oh, and I'm sure Clark is sorry for not calling," Jimmy added.  
  
Martha smiled. "That's our Jimmy," she said. "You always take such good care of Clark and Linda - I don't know what they'd do without you, you're such a good friend to them both."  
  
There was a pause. "Yeah," Jimmy said quietly. "Real good."  
  
The Kents heard a click as Jimmy hung up. There was no venom in Jimmy's reply, but there was something in there that both adults recognized as the proverbial snort, like Jimmy didn't believe them. Jonathan hung up slowly.  
  
"So, what do you want to do?" Martha asked.  
  
Jonathan sighed. "Well, first of all, I'm going to call our children and make sure they're still okay," he replied. He reached for the phone and dialed his son's number. "After that, I'm going to kill them."  
  
(End of Chapter 4) 


	5. Chapter 5

- - - -  
  
The sun was setting, and both of the Kents were waiting on the porch when Superman landed in front of the garden with Linda in his arms. He set the girl down, and she headed up the steps while her cousin spun in a circle, changing into his civilian clothes. She stopped just at the top when she saw her parents looking at her. She sighed, knowing they were not happy with her.  
  
"Look, I'm really sorry about taking off," she said quietly. "Honest. I just . . . I don't know, freaked, I guess."  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Martha asked.  
  
"Not really," Linda replied. Without saying a word, she headed into the house.  
  
Jonathan raised and eyebrow and started after his daughter. "Linda, wait -" He was interrupted by Clark as his son blurred in front of him, blocking his path. "Clark, what are you doing?"  
  
"Linda doesn't need a lecture right now," Clark replied. "I think it's best to just leave her alone for the time being."  
  
"Clark, last time I checked, you are not Linda's father," Jonathan replied. "Besides, you're in hot water as it is."  
  
"For what?" Clark asked.  
  
"For not calling us," Martha replied. "We were looking everywhere for Linda. You should have called us, Clark."  
  
"I'm sorry," Clark said sincerely, "but I needed to take care of Linda first. She was really upset." He paused. "She, uh, she told me what happened with Joseph."  
  
"You don't seem to happy with what she told you," Martha said, noticing the hint of anger in her son's voice.  
  
"I don't know what to think," Clark replied. "If what Joseph said about her is true, then why didn't he say anything before now? And why aren't there any drawings of her on the cave walls?"  
  
"Because it wasn't time for you to know," a familiar voice behind them said. The Kents looked over and saw Joseph standing near the scalloped fence. He smiled at Clark. "Naman, it is good to see you again."  
  
"What do you mean it wasn't time for me to know?" Clark asked as he left the porch and walked over to the older man.  
  
"If you had learned that there was another like you out there," Joseph replied, "then you would have strayed from your path to find her."  
  
"In a heartbeat," Clark said. "She's my cousin."  
  
"Yes, but she would have come here eventually," Joseph replied. "Searching for her would have been unnecessary . . . and costly to your own path."  
  
"What happened to the drawings?" Clark asked.  
  
"I already told your parents and Nevaeh what happened to the drawings," Joseph answered. "I'm sure Nevaeh has told you, otherwise you wouldn't be here."  
  
Clark sighed. As much as he liked Joseph, the old man would always talk cryptically. "Look, Joseph, I don't know why you decided to come here now, but please leave Linda alone. She's been through a lot already, and it's obvious she doesn't like talking about this, so please just . . . just don't do this with her." He turned and headed back toward the house.  
  
Joseph watched Clark as he headed into the house, then he caught the Kents' eyes. There wasn't any hate in their expressions, but they were making it clear where they stood on the whole Kawatche cave drawings issue as of that moment. It was different now, Joseph knew that, but he couldn't quite put his finger on how. Still, he would drop the matter . . . for now. He nodded and politely excused himself, heading down the drive. The Kents watched him until he disappeared before they headed into the house. They saw Clark start for the stairs to go check on Linda.  
  
"Not so fast, Clark," Jonathan said. Clark stopped. "We still need to talk about what you did."  
  
Clark sighed and turned around. "Look, I said I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah, but do you mean it?" Jonathan asked. "Clark, we understand that you wanted to take care of Linda, but would it have really been that hard to pick up the phone and let us know she was safe?"  
  
"Dad, I mean it," Clark said. "I'm really sorry. I . . . I should have called, I know, but Linda was so upset . . . and then she fell asleep, crying, in my arms . . . I didn't want to disturb her." He sighed, his expression falling. "I'm sorry." Jonathan sighed, his anger softening as he walked over and put a hand on his son's shoulder.  
  
"Clark," Martha said gently as she walked over to join her men, "we understand where you're coming from, but do you understand where we're coming from?" Clark nodded slowly. Martha reached up and cupped her son's face in his hands. "That's all we want from you. I know Linda's important to you, but she's important to us too. We want to make sure she's safe just as much as you do."  
  
"I know," Clark replied softly. "I'm sorry, Mom."  
  
Martha reached up and kissed her son's forehead. "I know, sweetie. Just remember if this happens again to let us know before we get a call from Jimmy, okay?"  
  
"Jimmy called?" Clark asked.  
  
Jonathan nodded. "He wanted to make sure we knew you two were safe." He left out telling Clark about Jimmy's reaction. "He's a good friend."  
  
"Yeah," Clark said softly.  
  
"We love you, son," Jonathan said, pulling Clark into a hug. Martha joined in the hug, enveloping her son from the other side.  
  
"I love you too," Clark replied. After a few moments the three pulled away.  
  
"Now," Jonathan said, "you're staying here tonight."  
  
"Can I stay with Linda?" Clark asked.  
  
Jonathan smiled. "Sure, son." Clark smiled and slowly headed up the stairs. Martha and Jonathan watched him, then they turned to each other. "Well, Mrs. Kent, I think we better start making dinner for our motley crew."  
  
"How about pizza?" Martha asked.  
  
"Pepperoni, mushroom, and hamburger?" Jonathan asked. It was the only three toppings that the four Kents liked.  
  
"Of course," Martha replied.  
  
"You got yourself a deal," Jonathan said, grinning, as he headed for the phone. Martha smiled and went to the fridge to make some homemade lemonade while they were waiting.  
  
(End of Chapter 5) 


	6. Chapter 6

_(Special thanks to JXC, Lynxjet, Gizmo, Whitetiger4, Kittsbud, Murzo, and Hanemg - and congrats on winning Third Place in the first annual Kwrite Fan Fic Awards)_

- - - -

The Kents adhered to Clark's wishes and left Linda alone for the rest of the evening. Sunday morning was a different story. Before the chores were started Jonathan and Martha talked to Linda about not running away - and that was the only thing they talked about. They knew Linda was still feeling depressed about the whole cave thing, and they decided it was best not to press it further, especially after learning that Clark had already told her what they planned on telling her themselves. They knew it would take time before it sunk in and Linda believed it. When they were done, they let Linda start her chores.

The rest of the morning was uneventful, and by afternoon all four of them had finished the chores and were eating lunch. It wasn't until after lunch was finished and Linda had excused herself to work on her art that the Kents decided Linda needed to just have some fun, away from the farm; they didn't want her to start turning her art from a hobby into an escape from reality. With Clark in on the secret, they quickly decided what to do and made the necessary phone calls. Within half an hour after finishing the last call, the four Kents were standing outside the Bow-A-Rama.

"Come on," Linda half whined, half pleaded as the four of them headed into the building. "Tell me what's going on."

"Not yet, sweetie," Joanthan replied as he held the door open for his family. Linda furrowed her eyebrows at him as she walked past him. She barely looked forward, and she was immediately pounced on. She yelped loudly, then she realized who the pouncers were: Mattie and Andy. They were grinning and laughing at her shocked expression. Linda looked past her two friends and saw the rest of the gang - Dick, Cutter, Wally, and Buzz - standing nearby, grinning.

"Surprise!" the group of six shouted.

"Wha . . . huh?" Linda asked, trying to recover from her shock.

"Were you surprised?" Mattie asked.

"Uh, yeah," Linda replied. "What are you guys doing here?"

"You parents called us," Dick answered. "Said you needed to get out of the house for a while."

Linda looked back at her parents and Clark, and they were all grinning. She smiled a little, touched that they were still thinking of her well-being, even after all the things she said and thought.

"Why don't we go get our shoes and a lane?" Jonathan suggested.

"Can I get some food?" Linda asked. "I'm a little hungry?"

"Sure," Jonathan replied. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a ten dollar bill, handing it to Linda. "Here you go, sweetie."

"Thanks," Linda replied. She headed toward the snack bar. Mattie and Andy shared a look and left to catch up with their friend. The rest of the gang went to the front counter to get their shoes and a couple of lanes.

Linda sat on a stool, her elbows resting on the counter as she looked up at the menu on the wall. She was hungry, but she wasn't sure what she should get. A young man walked through the kitchen door and smiled as he walked over, standing in front of Linda.

"What can I get you?" he asked. He was a few years older than Linda, with dark brown hair, blue eyes, and he wore a black Van Halen t-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of black tennis shoes.

"Hey, Jack," Mattie replied as she and Andy walked over.

"Hey, Mattie," Jack grinned. "Andy. How's it going?"

"It's goes," Andy replied, shrugging. "See you've met Linda."

"Sorta," Jack replied. He nodded at Linda. "Nice to meet you, Linda."

Linda smiled a bit. "Hi." She tilted her head to the side. "How do you know Mattie and Andy? You don't go to Smallville High."

"Nope," Jack replied. "Graduated a few years ago. Met the girls when I started working here after graduation. Now, what can I get you?"

Linda looked back up at the wall menu. "Um . . . ." There were lots of things she wanted to buy, but she was a little disappointed she only had ten dollars. She couldn't figure out what to get.

Jack noticed her demeanor and leaned over, resting his arms on the counter. "Hey, you know what? You can have your order on the house, Linda."

Linda looked confused. "But I want to eat it here." Jack furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at Mattie and Andy.

"Don't ask," Mattie said.

"I won't," Jack replied. He glanced back at Linda, smiling. "So, what'll it be, Linda? You can have anything you want."

"Really?" Linda asked. Jack nodded. "Well, I'll take a hotdog, no mustard, lots of ketchup; a huge order of nachos, a large bucket of popcorn, a double bacon hamburger, hold the cheese, chili fries, and a large soda."

Jack whistled. "Wow . . . I should have thought twice before saying it's on the house . . ."

Linda winced. "Sorry . . . ."

Jack smiled. "Hey, I'm just kidding; seriously though, what's wrong?"

"I'm stupid . . .," Linda replied. "Actually, I did something stupid."

"What happened?" Jack asked.

Linda shook her head. "Nothing really. Just a guy I like hasn't spoken to me for three weeks . . . and it's my fault. Can't blame him really; I am a freak, after all."

"Jack, ignore her . . . she's not a freak," Mattie replied.

"A little odd," Andy added, "but she's cool."

"Yeah, right," Linda replied glumly. She got up from the stool and headed to the lanes.

Mattie turned to Jack. "Got anything with chocolate?"

"How does a chocolate ice cream cone sound?" Jack asked.

"Perfect," Mattie replied.

"Comin' right up," Jack said, heading for the ice cream freezer to make Mattie's cone. "So what's the deal with your new friend?"

"Long story," Andy answered. "Even we don't know all the details."

Mattie nodded and said, "We just know she and Jimmy - the guy she likes - had a fight, and they haven't spoken for three weeks."

"Maybe he just needs some time to think about it," Jack said.

"Maybe," Mattie replied, shrugging, "but you try telling her that."

"Well, hopefully this guy won't wait until it's too late," Jack said. He came back over and handed Mattie her cone.

"Yeah," Andy said. "Oh, Jack, her parents don't know what's going on . . . and she'd like to keep it that way, so, no blabbing, 'kay?"

Jack smiled. "Hey, you know me; who would I tell?"

Mattie grinned. "Point taken. Catch you later, Jack."

"Alright, take it easy ," Jack said. "Oh, and I'll bring Linda's food over when it's ready."

"You really going to get all that food?" Andy asked. She and the other were familiar with Linda's unusual eating habits, but Linda's order would take up a fair amount of Jack's paycheck.

Jack nodded. "I'm keeping my word." Mattie and Andy smiled as they headed back to the lanes as Jack started preparing Linda's order.

All the lanes were jam-packed with other people bowling, but Mattie and Andy easily found the lane the Kents and everyone else were at. Linda was sitting off to one side, putting her shoes on as the rest of the gang took turns throwing practice balls. Mattie polished off her cone, and she and Andy headed into the pit, grabbed their shoes and put them on. Linda walked over to where the ball return rack was, sizing up the different-colored balls, trying to figure out which one to use . . . actually, she was trying to figure out exactly how to play the game.

"Hey, Linda!" Linda looked to her left and saw a teenage boy her age standing with a little girl in the adjacent lane. The boy was Robert Chandra, a fellow classmate of Linda's in her Math and History classes. He was tall, a little over six feet, and he wore jeans, a nice t-shirt, and bowling shoes, and his brown hair was a little unkempt. The little girl, Stacey, was Robert's nine-year-old baby sister. Her light brown hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a pair of jeans, a light blue shirt, and the bowling shoes. Both brother and sister stood on their lane near the foul line, Robert behind his sister. Both of them held a pink bowling ball, and it was clear that Robert was teaching Stacey how to bowl.

"Hey, Robert!" Linda called, smiling a bit.

"Thanks again for the help on those problems," Robert said.

"My pleasure," Linda replied, smiling sincerely. The Trigonometry earlier that week had been a killer for their math class, but Linda had managed to show her group what she knew, and Robert had been a part of her group.

"Hi, Linda!" Stacey waved.

Linda smiled and waved before turning back to her group. "Okay," she said. "Now, would someone mind telling me how to play this game?"

"Oh, it's quite simple, sweetie," Jonathan replied. He grabbed a sixteen pound green ball and took his position on the lane. "You just do this." He stared at the pins, focusing, then took his five steps and threw his ball. It flew down the lane and curved beautifully - right into the gutter. "Uh, well, maybe not like that."

"Well done, Jonathan," Martha smirked. She grabbed a twelve-pound red ball, gently pushed Jonathan aside, lined her shot, took five steps, and threw her bail. It rolled down the lane and slammed into the pins, knocking all of them down. Smiling, she looked at Linda. "That's how you do it, Linda." Grinning, she went back to her chair. The teens - and even Clark - tried not to laugh, but Jonathan could hear their snickers.

"You know, you never could bowl a strike," a female voice said. Everyone turned and saw a middle-aged woman standing just outside the pit. She had a medium build, short brown hair and blue eyes, and she wore a nice pair of tan slacks, a green blouse, and a brown loafers. Her arms were folded and she smiled at Jonathan.

Jonathan grinned as he walked over and hugged the woman. "Lynn!" he exclaimed, laughing as he hugged her tightly. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"Hey, Jonathan," Lynn replied as she hugged Jonathan tightly before pulling away. "How are you?"

"Oh, never better," Jonathan answered. "What are you doing here?"

"Just passing through," Lynn replied. "Visiting my husband's family, and we were on our way back home, and we decided to stop in Smallville for a bit. A lot of old memories here, so I had to come in for a few minutes." Her grin got wider. "And I am so glad I did."

Jonathan chuckled, then he noticed Martha, Clark, and Linda looking at him curiously. "Oh, uh, Lynn, this is my family: my wife, Martha, and our children, Clark and Linda." He nodded to Linda's friends. "And these are Linda's friends. Everyone, this is Lynn Trobaugh. We went to high school together; Lynn left for California after we graduated."

"Hi," Martha replied, leaning over and holding out her hand. Lynn shook it. "Nice to meet you, Lynn."

"Same here," Lynn said. She smiled at Clark, and he smiled back, and then she looked down at Linda. She could see the young girl shying away slightly and found herself thinking about her own daughter. She turned back to Jonathan. "Well, I need to get going. I got a long trip ahead of me." She and Jonathan hugged again, and they promised to keep in touch. Lynn headed for the front, and Jonathan turned back to his family.

"Okay, gang, let's get this game under way," he said, smiling. He looked at Linda. "Sweetie, you want to go first?"

Linda shrugged. "I guess," she replied.

"Alright, Short Stack," Clark said, walking over to his cousin. He took her by the arm and let her over to the ball return rack. He picked up a purple ten-pound ball and handed it to her, then he led her up to the starting arrows. He stood behind her and helped her hold the ball, whispering softly in her ear on what to do.

"Just make sure you don't throw it too hard," he added softly.

"'kay," Linda replied. She remembered what Clark told her and threw her arm back. The ball slipped from her fingers and went sailing through the air.

"Heads up!" Cutter shouted as everyone scrambled out of the way. The ball flew past the pit and crashed to the floor, rolling across the carpeted surface. Susan Ellis, a nursing student interning at Smallville Medical, shrieked as she scurried out of the way, trying not to drop the large soda and hot dog in her hands. The ball continued to roll toward the front doors, just as two women came in. They saw the ball heading for them, and they scrambled out of the way, just as the ball rolled out the door

Jonathan hurried out of the pit and ran after the ball, brushing past the two women as he headed out the door. He came back a few minutes later with the ball in his hands, looking apologetically at the two women. "Sorry, Suzanne," he said to one of them.

"Oh, it's okay, Jonathan," Suzanne replied. Suzanne Williams was a local housewife, with a little boy, Stevie, but she had recently joined the local Head Start program and met Martha. They had become friends, and the families had had dinner last week. Suzanne grinned. "Let me guess, Linda's handiwork?"

Jonathan chuckled. "First time bowling." He noticed the other woman. "I don't believe we've met."

"This is Dawn," Suzanne replied. "She's a friend of mine visiting from the UK."

"Hello," Dawn replied with a distinct British accent.

"Hi," Jonathan said, nodding politely. "Um, if you'll please excuse me, I need to get back to my family." He smiled at Dawn. "I hope you enjoy your stay here, Dawn."

"Thank you," Dawn replied.

"See you later," Suzanne said. Jonathan smiled and left to go back to his lane. Dawn and Suzanne watched him for a few moments, then Dawn leaned closer to her friend.

"You're right," Dawn said. "He is cute."

Jonathan walked over to Clark hand handed the ball back to him. "Okay," the farmer said. "Let's try Take Two."

"Sorry," Linda whispered.

"Oh, it's okay, Linda," Jonathan said. "Just remember to grip the ball with your fingers until you're ready to let it go."

"'kay," Linda replied. She and Clark got back into their previous positions.

"Uh, oh," a guy's voice shouted above the hubbub three lanes down. "Everyone duck! Butterfingers has her ball back!"

"Oh, shut up, Michael!" another guy shouted back, smacking Michael with his bowling ball bag.

"Why don't you shut up, Bert?" Michael shouted back, shoving Bert back.

Linda looked crestfallen and hung her head, but Clark titled her chin up. "Don't listen to him," he said softly.

"Yeah," Jonathan said, rolling up his sleeves, "don't listen to him, sweetie." He had a protective, angry look on his face as he headed out of the pit. Everyone watched him march over to where Michael and Bert were fighting. He pulled Bert and Michael apart and grabbed Michael by the back of his shirt. Hoisting him to his feet, Jonathan dragged the guy to the front door and tossed him out. There was a smattering of applause as Jonathan returned to the pit, smiling as he rolled his sleeves down. "Now, don't you have a ball to roll?"

Linda slowly smiled as she turned back to face the pins, holding the ball securely. The tip of her tongue out, she followed Clark's instructions . . . and took her fives steps, rolling the ball. It sailed down the lane and hit the pins. Six of them tumbled to the ground. Linda shrieked and jumped into the air, then she turned around and hugged Clark tightly.

"Way to go, Short Stack," Clark replied, hugging her back.

"Go, Linda!" Mattie whooped. The rest of the group cheered and clapped as Linda blushed.

"Congrats, Linda!" Everyone turned their heads and saw Jack carrying a large tray with Linda's food on it.

"What is that?" Jonathan asked.

"Linda's order," Jack replied. Everyone looked at Linda.

Linda looked sheepish. "Um . . . he said it was on the house."

"I did," Jack said. "And I'm keeping my word." He set the tray down and left.

"A little hungry?" Clark asked, smiling.

Linda shrugged. "Well . . . ."

Clark ruffled her hair. "Come on, Short Stack. I think we can share with everyone, right?" Linda smiled and nodded. The two walked over as the teens started converging on the food. While the seven teens and one hungry superhero dug into the food, Jonathan and Martha stood by, smiling, glad that their little plan had worked.

(End of Chapter 6)


	7. Chapter 7

- - - -

"I already told you everything I know!" Henderson replied angrily from behind his desk. He glared up at Lois and Clark.

"Come on, Henderson," Lois said. "There's more to these murders than what you're telling us."

"What part of 'I already told you everything I know' don't you understand?" Henderson asked, getting to his feet. "I don't have anything else to tell." Lois snorted. "So, how about you two get out. I got enough on my mind without two reporters breathing down my neck. There's the door; don't let it hit you on the way out."

Lois was about to lambast the inspector, but Clark dragged her out of Henderson's office before she could even open her mouth. He closed the door behind them before he let her go.

"Clark," she protested angrily, "I was about ready to let him have it."

"I know," Clark replied. "That's why I dragged you out."

Lois growled. "He knows something."

"Maybe, maybe not, but we can't go in there accusing him of hiding information from us."

"Clark, we have just had another city official found dead, this time with half his face burned off from the acid-squriting water pistol found next to his body," Lois said. "That's the fourth one in a month. Don't you want to find out who's doing this?"

"Lois, believe me," Clark said. "I want to find out who's doing this too, but shouting at Henderson and accusing him isn't going to help us get the information we need."

"Well, there are other avenues we can try," Lois replied.

"Chloe's got her hands full," Clark said, "and Jimmy's still not speaking to me, remember?"

"What about Freddy?" Lois asked. Clark groaned. Freddy was their snitch - Lois' snitch to be more precise. He was good with his information, always helping the reporters when their other avenues failed, but Freddy was loud, obnoxious, and liked to be paid with food . . . lots of food. "Oh, Clark, when are you going to stop doing that?"

"When we find someone else," Clark replied wryly.

Lois simply stuck her tongue out as she walked down the hallway. Clark sighed, stuck his hands in his pockets, and smiled a bit as he followed her.

- - - -

Linda tapped her pencil against her history book as she read. Unlike her other subjects History was the one thing she actually had to put some effort into. Still, it wasn't something she hated - she loved learning about the historical aspects of the world, most specifically the history of Kansas, which was what they were studying at the moment. Actually, they were reading silently, and Linda found her mind wandering. She sighed and turned the first page of the chapter, a little bored, but then something on the next page caught her attention. The next section was about the Kawatche people. As much as she didn't like the subject, she was drawn to it by some unknown force. The young girl sat up straighter and focused all her attention on the section.

- - - -

Lois and Clark left information with their usual contacts - and now all they had to was wait for him to come back. Unfortunately, that could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. With nothing better to do they headed back to the Planet. Lois went to get a coffee from the lounge while Clark made his way over to Chloe's desk.

The blonde reporter was hard at work on doing her part to help with the story - researching. She was in the middle of scanning all known weaponry databases to see if anything related to the weapons found at the four crime scenes.

"Any luck?" Clark asked, leaning over.

"Nothing," Chloe answered, frustrated. "I can't find anything."

"Well, Lois and I put the word out to get in touch with Freddy," Clark said. "Hopefully, he can give us from insight."

"Lucked out at Metro PD, huh?" Chloe asked.

"Lois got a little . . . vocal," Clark replied.

Chloe snorted. "That's Lo-Lo for ya," she replied, smirking. She turned around in her chair. "So, how's the Linda front coming along?"

"About as well as the Jimmy front," Clark said.

Chloe winced. "Ouch."

"Yeah," Clark replied. He sighed.

"Maybe it's genetic," Chloe said, trying not to smile. Clark looked confused. "As I recall, you were pretty tight-lipped when you were her age too."

"Touché," Clark replied as Lois headed over. He patted Chloe's shoulder, smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem," Chloe grinned as she turned her chair around and got back to work. Clark and Lois went back to their desks to do pretend to look busy so Perry wouldn't yell at them.

- - - -

The rest of the week went by quickly. There were no other murders in Metropolis, no Kawatche caves problems in Smallville, and Jimmy and Linda still weren't talking to anyone about their problems.

Friday morning came, and Linda slowly opened her eyes, stretching under her sheets. She slowly sat up, yawning, and swung her feet out. She glanced over at her pets and saw both of them curled up together at the foot of her bed. That's when she felt the distinct chill in the air, a coldness she hadn't felt before. She glanced over at her window and saw light shining in through the frosted window panes.

Linda grinned as she got to her feet and padded over to the window. She loved frost, having seen it for the first time about a week ago. Her favorite part was the delicate patterns it made on the glass. The young girl decided that she was going to spend the weekend trying to take the images of the frost in her mind and put them onto paper. She leaned over and smiled at the lacey designs, then something outside caught her attention. She refocused her attention beyond the glass.

Martha and Jonathan were in the process of setting the table for dinner when they heard an ear-piercing shriek coming from upstairs. Martha was so startled that she nearly dropped the plates she held. Jonathan was a little more quick, and he helped her steady the stack. He grabbed the plates and put them on the counter.

"Thanks," Martha replied with relief.

"My pleasure," Jonathan smiled. They were about ready to head for the stairs when Linda came running down the stairs like a bat out of hell. The adults noticed her fearful expression. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"The sky is falling!" Linda shouted.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" Martha asked.

Linda pointed to the windows. "The clouds - they're falling from the sky!"

Suddenly, it dawned on the adults. They had to do their best not to laugh, but they smiled as they walked over, putting their arms around her shoulders.

"Sweetie, the sky isn't falling," Jonathan said as they headed for the kitchen door.

"It isn't?" Linda asked.

"No," Martha said. Jonathan opened the door so they could all look out. "It's snowing." He noticed that Linda was staying close to Martha. "Sweetie, it's not going to hurt you." He reached his hand out, and Linda slowly took it. Jonathan slowly pulled her over and led her outside onto the porch. He heard Linda gasp softly as she stared at her familiar world, once full of color, now blanketed in a sheet of soft white powder.

"Remember the thunderstorm?" Jonathan asked. Linda nodded. "Stick your hand out."

Linda walked over to the rail and slowly stuck her hand out. She smiled when she felt the feathery flakes hit her hand The sky was a dark gray, and Linda could see the flakes gently falling to the ground. "Wow," she whispered.

"Oh, and school's been cancelled for the day," Martha added as she came out.

"Why?" Linda asked.

"Well, the snow's three feet in most places," Martha replied. "The buses can't get through."

"I can get through anything," Linda said. She shrugged. "Well, as long as there's no Kryptonite around."

"Yes, we know, honey," Jonathan replied, "but you know what we mean."

"Yeah," Linda said. "So, what do I do now? I finished all my homework already."

"Well," Jonathan replied, "if you go upstairs with your mother to get dressed, then we'll see about what you can do next, okay?"

Linda smiled and hurried inside. Martha glanced at Jonathan and saw him grinning. She sighed and shook her head, knowing her husband was up to something . . . and Linda was in for a wild ride. She smiled a bit as she followed Linda.

- - - -

"I'm ready!" Linda shouted as she ran out onto the porch, dressed her usual jeans, a thick sweater, and her brown work boots. Over that she wore her black duster jacket, black winter gloves, and a white hand knit scarf. Her hair was pulled back with a headband, and she pushed her glasses up her nose as she headed down the stairs. Both Streaky and Krypto scurried after her, and all three of them stopped short on the last step. Linda raised an eyebrow.

"It's okay, sweetie!" Jonathan replied from the where he stood near the barn. He waved her over. "Come on! We got work to do!"

Linda hesitated, then she slowly stuck her foot out, setting it down on the soft snow. She was a little confused as her foot sank a bit, but she tilted her head, smiling. She took another step, and watched in fascination as the same thing happened again. She took another step, then another, grinning. She looked back at her pets and beckoned them to follow her. Krypto, hesitant at first, soon joined his mistress on the snow, but Streaky turned her back on Linda and stuck her tail in the air as she headed back into the house.

"Fine," Linda replied, sticking her tongue out, "be that way." She walked slowly down the walk, taking high steps, fascinated and confused with her new environment. Krypto was just as fascinated and perplexed as Linda, taking high steps, trying to keep his paws from touching the wet snow. Soon, he found it impossible and began liking the feel of the snow. Barking, he skittered on the walk, running as fast as he could past the fence and down the gravel drive.

Linda followed her puppy and sprinted down the walk. Her foot hit a small patch of ice and flew out from under her. Shrieking, she fell backwards, hitting the ground hard. Jonathan saw her in mid fall and hurried over, taking care not to slip himself as he knelt beside his daughter.

"Honey, are you okay?" he asked. He stopped short when he noticed she was giggling.

"That was fun!" she shouted.

"Oh, you think so, huh?" Jonathan asked, smiling, relieved she was okay. He grabbed a handful of snow and packed it tightly. Then he gently threw it at her, hitting her right in the face.

Linda sputtered as she sat up. She wiped the snow from her face, then she looked up at her father as he laughed at her. A grin slowly spread across her face. "Daddy, you might want to look behind you." Jonathan turned around and was pummeled with five snow balls. As he sputtered and wiped snow from his face, Linda laughed and got to her feet. "Bulls eye!"

Jonathan smiled sweetly at his daughter. "Of course, you realize, this means war," he said.

"Bring it on, Daddy," Linda replied, grinning as she reached down to scoop up some snow.

In a matter of seconds the two were pummeling each other with snow balls, and it seemed that Jonathan was winning - not hard for him since Linda was both not using her powers and inexperienced in a snow environment.

Clark watched from near the red truck, smiling. He had landed a short time ago, intending to do some chores and then be on his way. Once father and daughter started their little game Clark decided to stay put. He watched in awe - seeing Linda shrieking and giggling - and envy - wishing he could join in. But he knew they wouldn't want him to join in - they were in their own little world.

"You're wrong." Clark turned his head and saw his mother walking towards him. She wore her red winter coat over her clothes, and her arms were folded. "You know you'll always be welcomed in their world, Clark." Clark gave her a 'how did you know what I was thinking?' look, and she smiled at him. "I always know what my babies are thinking, sweetie."

Clark sighed. "I don't want to interfere . . . look how much fun she's having with Dad."

Martha nodded. "And you don't think she'd have fun with you? Clark, you know how much she loves to show you things she's learned. And you always love seeing her eyes dance when she's with you and you help show her something new." She nodded towards her husband and daughter. "Go on, Clark."

Clark shrugged. "Mom, I don't know . . . ."

"Clark Joseph Kent," Martha said with a gentle firmness in her voice, "if you leave and don't join in with your father and cousin, I'll tell them both you were here and didn't feel like being with them."

Clark sighed. He knew he had no choice in the matter, his mother made that very clear. "You really like to play the guilt card, huh?"

"Is it working?" Martha asked.

Clark smiled a bit. "Yeah."

Martha smiled. "Then yes, I do." She put her hand on Clark's back and gently pushed him towards his family. "Come on, sweetie." The two headed off to join in the fun, the chores and everything else forgotten.

(End of Chapter 7)


	8. Chapter 8

- - - -

For the next couple of hours the four Kents played in the snow, making a large snowman, and having a snowball fight. At first it was the adults versus the kids, but after Clark managed to sneak up behind Jonathan - without using his powers - and stuff snow down his pants, the farmer quickly stated that it would be one kid and one adult on each team. He chose his son as his teammate, and the game was once again underway . . . until Martha managed to sneak up behind Jonathan and stuff more snow down his pants. Jonathan called a truce after that.

Linda was so busy doubled over, laughing so hard, that she didn't see Clark sneaking up behind her. She shrieked when he grabbed her around the waist and then carried her over to the snowman. He plopped her down into the snowman, head first, leaving only her feet sticking out. After a few seconds he lifted her up by her ankles and righted her, helping brush the snow out of her hair.

"Dweeb," Linda said, trying to look annoyed. but she was smiling.

"Thank you," Clark replied, taking a bow. Linda gently shoved him , and Clark stumbled, falling backwards into the snow. Clark sank pretty deep into the drifts, snow covering his clothes and hair, and Linda started doing a victory dance Mattie and Andy helped her choreograph for her mascot routine.

"Well, I hate to break this up," Jonathan said as he walked over with Martha, "but we need to get started on the chores and get the animals ready for the day."

"Uh, Dad, why don't you and I do the chores?" Clark suggested as he got to his feet. He brushed the snow from his clothes and hair and walked over to his father. "We can do the work ourselves, right?"

Jonathan smiled and put his around his son. "Sure, son," he said. He winked at his ladies before heading toward the barn with Clark.

Martha turned to Linda, smiling. "You know, there is one thing that we haven't done yet that is absolutely essential to being in the snow."

"What's that?" Linda asked.

Martha took Linda's hand and led her around the house. There were undisturbed drifts of snow piled near the house. Linda was confused, but Martha simply smiled as she stood in front of one of the drifts, held her arms out - and then fell backwards into the snow. Linda furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and Martha, keeping her body flat in the snow, began brushing her arms between her head and waist in a sweeping motion, and moving her legs in the same fashion. After a few moments Martha beckoned Linda to pull her up, and Linda helped her mother to her feet. The two looked down at Martha's handiwork, and Linda gasped softly. She instantly recognized the outline of what Martha created.

"Oh, it's beautiful," she whispered.

"Do you know what it is?" Martha asked, smiling.

"It's an angel," Linda replied.

"It's a snow angel," Martha said. She watched as Linda just stared at the outline, her eyes dancing, completely mesmerized. Her smile grew, thinking about how adorable her daughter was at that moment. She put her hands on Linda's shoulder. "You want to make one, sweetie?"

Linda nodded. She loved angels - especially when she overheard her parents talking about her and Clark one night when Linda was supposed to be asleep, and how they had compared their children to special angels from Heaven. Her mind was whirling, already trying to think of ways to put angels into her art.

Martha led her daughter to a fresh, untouched drift and turned Linda around. Linda spread her arms and fell backwards into the snow. Martha grinned as Linda mimicked her motions, then she helped Linda to her feet when she was finished. They turned around to look at Linda's work.

"It's beautiful," Martha whispered.

"Really?" Linda asked.

Martha nodded. "I have never seen a more beautiful angel." She brushed a strand of loose hair from Linda's face. "Well, aside from the one standing next to me, of course."

Linda blushed, embarrassed. "So, uh, what do we do now?"

"Well," Martha replied slowly, "we can go inside and start making breakfast for everyone. I don't know about you, but I'm a little hungry from all this fun."

"Can we make hot cocoa?" Linda asked.

"Of course," Martha said, putting her arm around Linda's shoulders as they headed toward the walk leading to the porch.

- - - -

The rest of the day went smoothly. Clark left to go back to Metropolis after breakfast, and Linda spent most of the day in the loft with her art, painting snowscapes - or trying . . . her paints were hardening from the cold weather, so Linda had to use her heat vision every once in a while. She didn't burn them, but it annoyed her that she had to do that.

Jonathan came up later that afternoon. "Hi, sweetie," he said. "You ready for some lunch." He noticed she looked frustrated. "What's wrong, Linda?"

"I just wish I had something to keep my paints from hardening in this cold weather," Linda replied. "Without using my heat vision."

Jonathan sighed and walked over, putting a hand on Linda's shoulder. "I know, honey." He glanced at the easel and smiled. His daughter really had a gift for art, and it all seemed so natural for her, which still surprised Jonathan a little bit. He knew she hadn't been taught art in Argo City, and he wondered how someone who had no experience could know so much . . . . He knew some things were just meant to be, and with Linda it was clear that she was destined to be an artist. "Look, uh, I know you've been up here for a while. You want to take a break and help me get everything ready?"

"It's a bit early," Linda said, looking at her wristwatch.

"I know, but the weatherman said there's an ice storm coming soon, and we need to get everything done before ice covers everything - especially the animals."

"Okay," Linda replied. She quickly cleaned up her supplies and put everything away before heading down the loft steps with her father. "Uh, Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, sweetie."

"Is Joseph really a bad person?" Linda asked. "And are the Kawatche caves really bad?"

Jonathan stopped, surprised she was talking about that after her initial reaction. ""Well, uh, not really," he said slowly. "It's . . . it's just a touchy subject."

"I know," Linda replied, "but when we started studying the Kawatche caves earlier this week I couldn't help but find myself drawn to them."

Jonathan sighed. "Linda, I understand your fascination, I really do, but I want you to be very very careful with those caves."

"Why?"

Jonathan smiled sadly. "Because enough bad things have happened to this family because of those caves. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Linda sighed. She wanted to know what had happened, but she didn't press it any further. She simply took her father's hand and headed out of the barn.

- - - -

The storm came and passed before nightfall, but the temperatures dropped well below freezing, leaving the entire world glazed in a couple inches of ice, and lots of snow. The Kent house was locked up for the night, and toasty warm. The Kents were sleeping soundly, but Linda tossed and turned in her bed, dreaming about the Kawatches caves. She could see the drawings come to life around her, making tapping noises as they swirled around her, along with the symbols around the key slot. She was scared, alone, and in the dark, and the only other sound she could hear besides the tapping was the word 'destiny' being repeated over and over again.

The young girl's eyes flew open, and she sat up like she was shot out of a cannon, sweating and panting, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked around to get her bearings, and she relaxed some when she saw she was safely in her room. Streaky and Krypto were curled up, sound asleep at the foot of her bed, and Linda allowed herself a small smile before she turned on her side and lay back down.

A small tapping caused her to bolt up in bed again, her eyes wide in fear. Her heart started pounding again as she looked at her window - the sound was coming from her window. She tried to open her mouth, but she was scared. She wanted to call for her parents, but she couldn't. The tapping didn't stop, and the young girl knew she'd have to take care of the matter herself - regardless of what it was.

She pulled back the covers and slowly got out of her bed. Keeping her eyes on the window, Linda carefully tiptoed over to the window - and threw back the curtains. She nearly shouted out loud when she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her.

- - - -

Linda wanted to scream, shout, but all she could manage was a small squeak. She stared at the eyes, too shocked to move, but after a few moments she regained her composure, and she carefully opened then window.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Freezing my tail off," Jimmy replied as he crouched on the roof, shivering slightly, his breath a virtual cloud every time he talked. "Can I come in?"

Linda raised an eyebrow. "You don't speak to me for three weeks, and now you come here, in the middle of the night" she paused long enough to look at the outside world "with ice and snow on the ground, and you want me to let you in my room?"

Jimmy shrugged, his teeth chattering a little. "Yeah," he replied. "I, uh, I was thinking we could talk." He tried shifting, but he lost his footing on the slick roof and slipped backwards. He nearly smashed into the roof, but Linda quickly thrust her hand out. Jimmy stopped suddenly in mid fall. He slowly stared at her, wide-eyed, speechless, as he started floating back over to within Linda's reach. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him in gently.

"What . . . was . . . that?" he asked, gasping.

"One of my powers," Linda replied, shrugging.

Jimmy furrowed his eyebrows. "But Clark can't do that . . . can he?"

Linda frowned. "No, he can't. And why would that make a difference, huh? Just because I'm from the same planet Clark is, it doesn't mean I have to be like him."

Jimmy held up his hands. "Okay, fine. Sorry." He stopped and sighed, knowing he hadn't come there to pick a fight with her. "Look, uh, we need to talk."

Linda nodded, but she crossed her arms, keeping her guard up. She cared about Jimmy, but she was a little wary of his visit. "Then talk."

"I said 'we,' Linda, not 'I,'" Jimmy replied. "But I will start." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Linda titled her head. She hadn't been expecting that, but she was still being stubborn. "For what, wasting your time being around me?"

Jimmy sighed, trying to overlook Linda's attitude. "No, Linda. I really enjoyed our time together." He paused. "I'm sorry I lied to you about Lucy." Linda stiffened. "I should have told you what happened a long time ago."

"Yeah," Linda said. "You should have. Do you realize how much you hurt me by lying to me when you knew how I felt about you? Did you want that?"

"No, of course not," Jimmy replied. "I was just . . . embarrassed, I guess. I know it was wrong, and I'm so sorry for doing that to you." He paused to take a breath. "But I'm not going to apologize for getting mad at you for lying to me."

"Jimmy, I didn't want to lie to you," Linda said. "Don't you believe me?"

"Yeah, I do," Jimmy replied. "And I know you were doing what you thought was best, but you can't expect me to be okay with that anymore than I know you wouldn't be happy with me lying to you about Lucy."

Linda sighed, closing her eyes. She knew Jimmy was right. "So, what do we do now?" she asked softly.

Jimmy walked over to Linda and tilted her chin up with one of his fingers. Linda opened her eyes and stared into Jimmy's. They reminded Linda of two pieces of milk chocolate, and she found herself lost in them. "How about we start being honest with each other from now on?" he asked softly. Linda nodded. Jimmy smiled and then leaned over and gently pressed his lips to hers. After a second he pulled back, seeing Linda was in a complete daze . . . he wasn't sure if it was from her lack of sleep or the kiss, but either way, he still found it adorable. "Can we do that?" Linda nodded slowly and Jimmy grinned. "Great." He looked at his watch. "Well, uh, I better go." He headed for the window, but Linda grabbed his wrist.

"Wait," she said softly. Jimmy turned around. "Please stay."

(End of Chapter 8)


	9. Chapter 9

- - - -  
  
Jonathan was in a chipper mood the next morning as he closed the door to the master bedroom and headed down the hall. He paused, deciding to check on his little girl to see how she was doing. He stopped in front of her closed bedroom door and slowly opened it, poking his head in. In the dark, he saw his daughter curled up on her side, her back to him, only half-covered with the sheets. He saw the dark-haired form Linda was snuggled up to, and Jonathan's grin got wider as he quietly walked over, intending to cover his children up. He reached the side of the bed and stopped short. Linda wasn't snuggled up with Clark . . . she was snuggled up with Jimmy!  
  
Jonathan couldn't believe it. The boy who had broken his daughter's heart, hadn't spoken to Linda for three weeks, just showed up out of the blue, in his daughter's bed - with his daughter. The fact that they were still fully-clothed meant nothing to the farmer. All that mattered to him was that there was a boy in bed with his daughter. To say he was furious would have been an understatement.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?!" he shouted angrily.  
  
Linda and Jimmy instantly woke up. They saw Jonathan glaring down at them, and Jimmy scrambled to his feet. His legs got caught in the sheets, and he tumbled to the floor, but he righted himself in a matter of seconds. He backed against the wall, staring wide-eyed at the farmer.  
  
"What are you doing in here with my daughter?!" Jonathan yelled.  
  
"It isn't what you think!" Jimmy shouted. "Honest!"  
  
"Not what I think?!" Jonathan asked. "I see my daughter in bed with a boy, and you're telling me it's not what I think?!"  
  
"What is going on?" Martha asked as she came in, tying her robe around her waist. She stopped short when she saw Linda in bed, Jimmy backed against the wall, and Jonathan looking like he was going to kill the young boy.  
  
"I caught Jimmy and Linda in bed together," Jonathan said, not taking his eyes off Jimmy.  
  
"Linda!" Martha looked at her daughter, her expression a mixture of anger and disbelief.  
  
"Daddy, wait!" Linda replied as she scrambled from the bed and hurried over to Jimmy, standing in front of him, shielding him from Jonathan.  
  
"Linda, out of the way," Jonathan growled.  
  
Linda frowned, standing tall. "No, Daddy," she said. "Not until you promise to leave him alone."  
  
Jonathan couldn't believe this. He was about ready to let loose with a threat to tan Linda's hide again, but then Martha reached out and touched Jonathan's arm.  
  
"Jonathan," she said, "wait. Not here."  
  
"Why not, Martha?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Because it'll be harder to drag a dead body down the stairs," Martha replied. Jimmy paled. She looked at her daughter and Jimmy, her eyes narrowed, her lips set straight. "You two get down to the living room this instant." The teens didn't bother to argue as they carefully slipped past the adults and left the room. Jonathan and Martha were not far behind.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jonathan and Martha stood near couch, arms folded, glaring down at the two teens as they sat on opposite ends of the couch. Jonathan hated to stand still, but he was too mad to pace.  
  
"Alright," he said through clenched teeth, "talk."  
  
Jimmy and Linda glanced at each other. Jimmy gave Linda a look, silently saying 'maybe you should go first; they won't kill you.'  
  
Wanna bet? Linda asked. Jimmy's eyes widened after hearing Linda's voice - in his head. Uh, that's something else we need to talk about . . . .  
  
"Well?" Jonathan asked loudly. The teens snapped their heads up. "Someone had better explain this - now."  
  
"It was my idea," Linda replied. "I told Jimmy to stay."  
  
Jonathan pursed his lips slightly. "Linda, why on earth would you invite Jimmy over - especially without telling us?"  
  
"I didn't invite him over," Linda said. "He came over by himself last night around eleven."  
  
"And how did he get out here?" Martha asked. She looked at Jimmy. "Especially when there's ice on the road and it's pitch black."  
  
"I, uh," Jimmy replied slowly, "I, uh, rode my cycle out here."  
  
"Let me get this straight," Jonathan said. "You sneak out in the middle of the night, because I know there's no way your mother would let you do something so dangerous and stupid, and you drive three hours in the night on icy roads, on a motorcycle, and you just show up on our doorstep, wanting to talk to Linda?"  
  
"Actually, he climbed the roof," Linda replied. "He didn't want to wake up everyone."  
  
"Okay, so he climbs the roof," Martha said, "and you let him in, and then you . . . ." She couldn't even bring herself to say what she and Jonathan thought had happened.  
  
"Nothing happened," Jimmy replied. "We just talked, okay?"  
  
"About what?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Our families," Linda answered. "Our lives . . . what we like, what we hate. That's it."  
  
"Yeah, do you honestly think we did something else?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"Jimmy, right now, we don't know what to believe," Martha said. "You haven't exactly been completely honest with us lately."  
  
"Maybe because we haven't been honest with him," Linda replied bitterly.  
  
"Linda, I don't like that tone of voice," Jonathan said.  
  
"Well, Daddy, I'm sorry, but we had no right to lie to him anymore than he had the right to lie to us."  
  
Martha looked confused. "Linda, what -"  
  
"Jimmy knows," Linda interrupted. "Everything." She watched the color drain from her parents' faces, and she was a little worried, but she was going to stand her ground. They glanced at Jimmy, then looked back at their daughter. Jonathan looked very upset; Martha looked upset, but there was an added worry mixed in.  
  
"You mean you told Jimmy?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"No," Linda answered. "Jimmy found out on his own."  
  
"How?" Jonathan asked. "Did he see you?"  
  
"No," Jimmy replied. "But I did see Clark." The Kents looked at Jimmy, shocked and confused.  
  
"How?" Martha asked. "When?"  
  
Jimmy sighed. "It doesn't matter."  
  
"Jimmy, when did you see Clark?" Jonathan asked with a little more force.  
  
Jimmy shrugged and took a deep breath. "Earlier this year," he said. "We were out, having lunch, and then there this car crash - really bad one. One of the cars was about to explode. Clark left to go make a call for help, then I started taking pictures; couldn't get too close to help, because of the flames. Then Superman showed up and saved the day and left when everyone was safe, as usual. Then Clark came back, saying an ambulance was on the way. That's when I noticed his shirt and tie were kinda lopsided . . . and I saw part of the blue, red, and yellow cloth underneath the shirt."  
  
Jonathan sighed. He would definitely be having words with his son later, but he had other things to tend to first.  
  
"But what about Linda?" Martha asked.  
  
"I put two and two together," Jimmy replied. The adults looked confused. "Linda arrived on the same night that mysterious object fell from the sky and the Army got really interested in it. Then there was that alien that came about a week later and attacked Linda here on the farm. Why was he even in Smallville? Then there was Linda herself."  
  
"What about her?" Jonathan asked, defensively.  
  
"Well," Jimmy said, "she acted a little too naïve, even for someone who had been isolated." He shrugged, and Martha and Jonathan glanced at each other.  
  
"Jimmy," Martha said, "why didn't you say anything before?"  
  
"Why didn't you feel like you could trust me?" Jimmy retorted.  
  
Martha sighed. "Jimmy," she replied gently, "it's not that we don't trust you. It's just that this is a very dangerous secret to know. We didn't want to make you a target for Superman's enemies."  
  
"I'm already a target, Mrs. Kent," Jimmy said. "People know I'm friends with Superman already." He sighed. "Look, just say it, okay? You didn't think I could handle it." Martha and Jonathan could see the painful look in Jimmy's eyes.  
  
"So, now what?" Linda asked slowly after a long bout of silence.  
  
"First thing first, Linda," Jonathan said. "You are grounded for one week."  
  
"What?!" Linda shouted.  
  
"Linda, you had a boy in your room," Jonathan said. "You know that's not allowed in this house."  
  
"But he was cold!" Linda protested. "And he wanted to drive back. Did you want me to just let him do that?"  
  
"No," Jonathan replied, "but you could have come to us, and we would have worked something out. So, for that, you are grounded for a week." Linda crossed her arms, frowning, mumbling softly in Kryptonian. "Hey, you want to add another week for that language?" Linda shut up, then Jonathan turned to Jimmy. "As for you, do you have any idea how dangerous and stupid it was to come here in the middle of the night after an ice storm - without telling anyone?" Jimmy stayed silent. "Look, Jimmy, I'm not your father, but I -"  
  
"Then stop acting like you are!" Jimmy said loudly as he got to his feet and stormed out of the living room. The three watched him march out into the cold morning, and Linda hurried after him. Jonathan started after his daughter, but Martha grabbed his arm, stopping him.  
  
"Martha, I -"  
  
"Let them go, Jonathan," she said softly.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jimmy stood on the porch, not caring that he didn't have any socks or shoes on his feet. He hugged himself as if he was cold, but it wasn't the weather he was shivering from; he trembled from anger as he tried not to cry. He didn't want to appear weak.  
  
"Jimmy?"  
  
Jimmy turned around and saw Linda standing near the porch door. She looked concerned and worried as she walked over. "I can't do it," he said softly. "I can't do this."  
  
Linda took his hands and led him to the swing. They sat down, and Linda leaned over and hugged him. "I know," she whispered, "but you just gotta hang in there." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Believe me, I know how hard it can be."  
  
"I shouldn't be acting like this," Jimmy said. "Not after everything you've been through." One of the things they had talked about the night before was Linda's real past and the hell she had been through before coming to Earth.  
  
Linda cupped his face with her hands, resting her forehead against his. "Jimmy, just because I went through something horrible, it doesn't mean your problem is any less important."  
  
Jimmy sighed and put his hands over Linda's. He was still a jumble of emotions inside, but Linda's touch helped alleviate some of his pain. He looked up into her blue eyes and found himself swimming in them. He smiled sadly. "You don't hate me?" he asked softly.  
  
Linda shook her head. "Jimmy, we talked about this earlier, remember? You have every right to be mad - you were betrayed. Believe me, it's perfectly okay to feel this way." She kissed him softly on the cheek.  
  
Jimmy took his hands off hers and wrapped them around her, hugging her gently. Linda hugged Jimmy around his neck, resting her cheek on his shoulder. The two just sat there in the silence and the cold, not caring for the world outside of them.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jonathan and Martha sat at the kitchen table, not talking, just thinking. It had been over thirty minutes since Jimmy and Linda bolted out of the house, and the Kents weren't exactly sure what to do. They knew they should call Jimmy's mother and let her know where her son was before she discovered him missing, but it was still a couple hours before sunrise, and they still had a lot to talk about with the two.  
  
"Well, I guess we better call Clark," Martha replied.  
  
"Not yet." The Kents looked up and saw Linda standing just inside the kitchen door. Jimmy was standing next to her; they looked like polar opposites. Linda had her arms were crossed, and she was frowning at her parents, while Jimmy was kind of hunched over, looking down in the dumps.  
  
"Excuse me?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Jimmy, would you mind?" Linda asked, her expression softening as she looked at the young photographer. Jimmy shrugged and headed for the stairs.  
  
"Wait just one second," Jonathan said, getting to his feet. "Jimmy, we still have a lot to talk about."  
  
"Daddy, as much as I love you, if you don't let Jimmy leave, I'll run out of here with him so far and so fast, it'll take Clark a week to find us."  
  
Jonathan opened his mouth, but he could see the expression on her face was dead serious. He sighed, frustrated. "Fine," he said. He kept his eyes on his daughter as Jimmy slowly headed up the stairs. After a few moments it was just the three Kents in the kitchen. "Alright, young lady, you mind telling me what is going on with you?"  
  
"I'm doing something I should have done a long time ago," Linda replied.  
  
"Breaking our rules and having this horrible attitude?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"You don't get it," Linda said. "I wouldn't have done any of this if you had treated Jimmy with the respect he deserves."  
  
"Respect?" Jonathan asked, walking over to her. "Ever since you've known him, you two have gotten into so much trouble together, including stealing my truck, and then he walks out on you after, what, he tells you he knows? What kind of person does that to someone he claims to like?"  
  
"He had every right to be mad at me," Linda said. "I lied to him, because you said it was the right thing to do." Her eyes welled up with tears as her voice started cracking. "But you lied to me too, because it wasn't the right thing."  
  
Jonathan was a little taken aback by what his daughter said. "Linda, I -"  
  
"You think that just because you're the adults you know what's best for everyone, but you're wrong. You assumed that just because I haven't been here long that you always know what's in my best interest, and I believed you, even when I knew that lying to Jimmy - and everyone else - was wrong."  
  
Martha got to her feet. "Linda, please -"  
  
"Do you even realize what you did to him? He doesn't completely trust me, but he doesn't trust you or Clark at all, and you know what? He has every right not to trust you, because you all assumed that he couldn't handle anything, because he was just a kid, so you tell him what to do with his life, and that he has no choice but to accept it. That's no different than when Joseph told me I had no choice but to accept my destiny, or when Jor-El told Clark he had no choice but to fulfill his destiny. Well, Clark didn't listen to Jor-El, I'm not listening to Joseph, and I can guarantee you that Jimmy won't be listening to any of you ever again." Tears fell from her cheeks as she hurried up the stairs.  
  
The Kents just stood in silence, and they actually jumped when they heard a door slam. Jonathan sighed as Martha walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. Linda's words had cut deeply, but they knew there was truth in what she said - a lot of truth. Knowing that they had a lot of talking to do themselves before they could even contemplate talking with the teens again - and before they let Clark know about this new revelation. Jonathan and Martha silently headed over to the kitchen table.  
  
(End of Chapter 9) 


	10. Chapter 10

- - - -

"So, how long do you think it'll be before they find your note?" Jimmy asked as he and Linda walked into the caves. They were both fully dressed in warmer clothes, socks, shoes and all.

"I don't know," Linda replied. "And I don't really care right now." The last place she wanted to be at the moment was in the house or anywhere on the farm, so she had talked Jimmy into leaving with her to get some fresh air and to just think about what was going on. She looked back at Jimmy as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "You sure you don't mind being here? We can go somewhere else if you like."

Jimmy shook his head. "No, this is fine," he said. He shivered a little. "Is it warm in there?"

Linda nodded. "Yeah, it is." She reached out with her hand, and Jimmy hesitated, but after a few seconds he took it. Silently, they walked through the twisting corridors into the main part of the cave. "Well, here we are."

The temperature was indeed warmer, and Jimmy raised an eyebrow as he looked around, his mouth slightly open as his eyes fell on the cave drawings. "Wow," he said softly. He remembered Linda telling him about the drawings from the night before, but it was a whole different ballgame when he could actually see them. "So, these are them, huh?

Linda nodded. "Yeah."

"So, where's yours?" Jimmy asked.

Linda led him over to the back wall. "Joseph said they used to be here, but when Clark's ship exploded, they disappeared."

Jimmy furrowed. "Did he say why?"

Linda shook her head. "No, but to be honest, I have no idea why I would have drawings of my own in here, much less drawings that would need to be covered up. It's not like I'm special."

"Linda, you are special," Jimmy said. "Don't you ever think you aren't." Linda shrugged, like she didn't believe him. Jimmy sighed and gently grabbed her shoulders, pulling her close. He brushed Linda's cheek and leaned over, pressing his lips to hers. Linda closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the moment, forgetting all about everything else. After a few moments the two pulled away smiling a bit.

"So, what do we do now?" Linda asked.

"Well," Jimmy asked. "I was thinking we should do something together soon, because I have a feeling we won't be seeing each other for a long time once we get back to our homes."

Linda sighed, her smile faded a bit. She opened her mouth, then all of a sudden a high-pitched humming sound resonated through the caves. Linda shouted out and grabbed the sides of her head, falling to her knees.

"Linda, what is it?" Jimmy asked, alarmed as he knelt beside her.

"It's so loud!" Linda shouted.

"What?" Jimmy asked. He couldn't hear anything, and he wondered for a moment if her super-hearing was starting to kick in.

Linda wanted to shut her eyes, but she couldn't. She stared at the wall as the horrible sound continued, then it suddenly stopped. Breathless, she kept staring at the wall as she got to her feet, almost mesmerized.

"Linda, what happened?" Jimmy asked as he stood up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Linda replied slowly. She put her hand on the cave wall, feeling it. "It called to me."

"The wall?" Jimmy asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Linda shook her head. "The drawings." She removed her glasses and squinted her eyes slightly. The world switched to her X-ray vision, and Linda could see beyond the cave wall . . . and a compartment beyond the wall. "Oh, my gosh," she whispered as her vision returned to normal. "There's something behind this wall."

"You x-rayed?" Jimmy asked. Linda nodded. "Ah. So, how do we get back there?"

Linda smiled and put her hand on the wall. She turned to Jimmy. "You might want to get behind me, Jimmy." Jimmy raised an eyebrow, but he figured it would be best not to protest. He moved behind Linda and watched as she tilted her head. He looked over her shoulder and saw her hand slowly vibrating, producing a soft hum. The cave wall started cracking around her hand, and the cracks spider-webbed out in all directions as the vibrations intensified and the hum grew louder. Pebbles rained down, and Jimmy reflexively covered his head, but he soon realized that the rocks - and dust that was stirred up - weren't coming anyone near them. The young photographer watched, completely in awe of what he was witnessing.

The cracks in the cave wall increased in number and size, and then in a matter of seconds, the entire wall exploded outward. Jimmy flinched, but he didn't turn his head as rocks rained down, dust billowing around them. After the dust settled, both teens saw a large gaping hole where the wall used to be . . . and a large space beyond that.

- - - -

In space a small silvery object floated above the earth, undetected by the inhabitants below. It had been there for years, damaged, waiting for the sign, to do what it had been programmed to do by its creator. Suddenly, lights on the object turned on, and its circuitry powered up. It started repairing the damage to itself, knowing that it was just a matter of time.

- - - -

The dark man in dark clothes walked silently down the city sidewalk, keeping to himself. He stooped suddenly and narrowed his eyes as he gazed skyward, his lips straight, his body tensing. "It's begun," he said, his voice low, with edge.

- - - -

"Whoa," Jimmy said. He headed around Linda and slowly headed toward the space, but he quickly bumped into an invisible wall. "Ow." He rubbed his nose tenderly.

Linda winced. "Sorry," she said. She blinked once. "Okay, it's safe." Jimmy hesitated, and he only waited until Linda headed for the space, following behind her.

The two teens walked into the space and looked around. They saw colorful drawings on the wall, some of which seemed very familiar. On one wall, there was a drawing of different colored balls with a small silver-colored object near them. There was something inside the silver object, and the teens walked over for a closer look. They could see what appeared to be small person in the silver object - a small person with yellow hair.

"That's me," Linda whispered. "That's really me." She looked at another wall and saw a drawing of a familiar blue person standing next to another figure of her. She recognized the blue figure as representing Clark. Both her and Clark were standing next to each other, and they were surrounded by a white outline. Below the drawing was a row of Kryptonian symbols.

"What does it say?" Jimmy asked.

Linda reached up and touched a couple of symbols that were below the drawing. "It says 'Behold Nevaeh, the keeper of truth, law and universal order.'" She snorted. "Okay, they must be talking about another Nevaeh."

"You don't think that describes you?" Jimmy asked.

Linda glanced at him wryly. "Jimmy, ever since I came here, has anything in my life been ordered?"

Jimmy nodded. "Point taken . . . but you do value truth and justice." He grinned. "Hey, you know, if get yourself some tights and a cape . . . you could take over Clark's job." He saw Linda tense and immediately winced. "Sorry, Linda."

Linda shrugged. "It's okay," she said.

"No, it's not," Jimmy said. "I forgot. I'm sorry. I know you don't want to be like him."

"Yeah, and everyone's mad because of that," Linda said.

"Well, you know what?" Jimmy asked. "Screw everyone. You be who you want to be." He looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. "It's a shame though. I have wondered how you'd look in Clark's boots - bet they'd be kinda cute on you."

Linda glanced up and saw him trying not to laugh. She couldn't help but burst out laughing. After a few moments, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Jimmy. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?" Jimmy asked. "Not that I mind the kiss, but I am curious."

"For making me feel better." She grabbed his hand. "Come on, I'm in the mood for some coffee. My treat." Jimmy smiled, and the two teens headed out of the caves, hand in hand.

(End of Chapter 10)


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: Remember that this series takes place in a world where Jonathan didn't make the deal with Jor-El, so Season 3 didn't exactly happen the same way it did in the show._  
  
- - - -  
  
"Alrighty," Jackie said as she walked over, carrying a tray with two large coffeehouse mugs on it. She set them on the table in front of Linda and Jimmy as the teens sat next to each other. Jackie smiled. "Enjoy, you two."  
  
"Thanks, Jackie," Linda replied. Jackie nodded and left. She lifted her mug and took a long sip of her favorite drink. She sighed as she closed her eyes. "Mmmm." She put her drink down and opened her eyes. She saw the big dollop of whipped cream on her nose; she stared at it, crossing her eyes, and she giggled. "I always do that."  
  
Jimmy smiled, grabbed a napkin from the holder and gently wiped Linda's nose clean. "There you go," he said as he wadded up the napkin and tossed it in a nearby wastebasket.  
  
"Thanks," Linda replied, looking into his eyes. She blushed as she turned her head; she had to stop doing that. She kept getting lost in them, and she couldn't keep doing that. She brushed a strand of loose hair from her face. "Um, you gonna try your drink?"  
  
Jimmy glanced at his mug and raised an eyebrow. "So, what is this again?"  
  
"It's a Chocolate Brownie Frappuccino," Linda said. "Chocolate brownie pieces in a Mocha Frappuccino with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce and chocolate sprinkles." She smiled as she rested her chin on her hand and her elbow on the table.  
  
Jimmy sighed and took sip. It was good, really good. He smiled as he put his cup down - and he realized he had a big dollop of whipped cream on his nose. He chuckled as he reached for a napkin, but Linda beat him. She took the napkin and wiped his nose, smiling.  
  
"Honestly, I think they need to rename the drink 'Cream on the Nose,'" Linda replied. Jimmy chuckled, and Linda's smile slowly faded as she reached over and took Jimmy's hand. "I really am sorry."  
  
"For what?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"For lying," Linda answered. Jimmy's smile faded. "I know you must hate me."  
  
"I don't hate you," Jimmy replied. "I understand why you did it, I really do. I probably would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes, but that doesn't mean I like it."  
  
"But you don't trust me," Linda said. "And I really don't blame you."  
  
Jimmy sighed. "Linda, I do trust you," he said softly. "Just not totally."  
  
Linda's expression fell as she let go of his hand. "I guess that's it, huh?" she asked.  
  
Jimmy leaned over and lifted her chin up. "No, that's not it." He cupped her face in his hands. "I want us to work, Linda."  
  
"But how can we if you don't trust me?" Linda whispered. "What can I do to make you trust me again?"  
  
"Well, you can start being honest with me," Jimmy replied. "About everything. You think you can?"  
  
Linda nodded. "You too?"  
  
Jimmy gave her a 'I'll do my best' smile before leaning over and kissing her. It was more affectionate than passionate, but both teens still found themselves getting lost in it. After a few moments, they heard the sound of a throat clearing. The teens looked up and saw both Jackie and Hillary looking down at them. "Uh, hi," Jimmy said slowly.  
  
"Do you mind if we have a few words with you?" Hillary asked.  
  
"Look, if it's about the making out, we'll stop," Jimmy said.  
  
"It's not about that," Jackie replied. "Well, we don't want you to keep doing it, but there is something else we want to talk to you two about."  
  
"Um, sure," Linda said slowly. The two managers pulled up a couple of chairs and sat down. "So, what's up?"  
  
"It's about the current situation between you and your parents," Jackie said. Both teens furrowed their eyebrows before looking at each other.  
  
"I didn't tell them," Linda said. "I swear."  
  
Jimmy looked at the managers. "Then how do you know -"  
  
"It doesn't matter," Hillary interrupted. "All that matters is that you guys have valid points in this situation . . . but so do they." She shrugged. "Maybe you should just talk with them - both of you." She and Jackie got up and went back to the counter, leaving behind two wide-eyed teenagers.  
  
"Okay, maybe we should go," Jimmy said slowly as he got to his feet.  
  
"I agree," Linda replied. She got to her feet, took some bills from her purse, and put them on the table before she and Jimmy scrambled out.  
  
- - - -  
  
It was late afternoon and no one was outside waiting for the teens as they walked up the gravel drive to the farm house. They had spent the day just walking around Smallville, and Linda even took him to a secluded field to show him all her powers. On their way home they stopped by the local Radio Shack, and Jimmy had purchased two Logitech Quickcams, telling Linda that it might be the only way they'll be able to see each other for a while after their parents get done with them. Linda asked him if he would set it up on her computer before he headed out, and he replied he would do his best. The two headed up the walk, climbed the porch stairs, and Linda opened the kitchen door.  
  
Inside, the temperature was a toasty eighty degrees, and the Kents were busy making dinner. They looked up as the teens came in. No one said anything as the teens stood in the door, just in case they had to make a break for it.  
  
"You know, the heat bill's going to skyrocket if you keep the door open," Jonathan said as he turned back to his chore - peeling the potatoes. Jimmy and Linda eyed each other briefly before coming in. Jimmy shut the door behind him. "Why don't you two get washed up for dinner?"  
  
"Actually," Jimmy said, "I think I need to get going."  
  
"Jimmy, you're not leaving," Martha said. "For starters, we have a lot to talk about."  
  
"And there's also another ice storm coming this way," Jonathan added without turning around. "And if you think we're going to let you waltz out of here to do something dangerous again, think again." Jimmy and Linda eyed each other. Linda shrugged. The two teens headed for the stairs. "Linda, wait, we need to talk." The teens stopped, and Linda glanced uneasily at her parents, then she looked at Jimmy. He simply nodded and kissed her briefly, squeezing her hand gently before heading up the stairs.  
  
"What is it?" Linda asked.  
  
"Linda," Jonathan said, putting down the peeler and turning around, "you want to tell us where you were today? Your note was a little cryptic."  
  
"We just spent time together," Linda said.  
  
"That's not what your father asked, Linda," Martha replied. "Where did you and Jimmy go?"  
  
"Well, we went to the caves," Linda answered.  
  
"We thought you hated the caves," Martha replied.  
  
"I don't hate them," Linda said. "They're really kinda interesting. And Jimmy knows now, so there wasn't any point keeping it a secret. And it was quiet. The last thing we wanted at the moment was to be was around other people. We just wanted some time to ourselves." She'd tell them about her drawings later.  
  
"So, you were in the caves the entire day?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"No, then we went to the Talon and got some coffee," Linda answered. "And we just walked around after that. I showed Jimmy my abilities." She sighed. "Look, I know this is all a little crazy right now, but I'm sorry I yelled earlier." She paused. "And I know I should have come to you about Jimmy instead of letting him sleep in my bed."  
  
"Yes," Jonathan replied. "You should have. And yelling at us wasn't exactly a smart move either." He eyed his wife and sighed. "But, you made some valid points."  
  
"Such as?" Linda asked.  
  
"How about we talk over dinner?" Martha suggested. "Go get washed up, honey." Linda nodded and headed up the stairs, leaving the adults to finish making dinner.  
  
- - - -  
  
Dinnertime was unusually quiet as the three Kents and Jimmy sat around the table, eating the homemade stew Martha and Jonathan made. Where there was usually talking was silence, save for the normal eating and drinking sounds. The tension so thick it could be cut it with one of Martha's butcher knives. It wasn't until after everyone had finished dinner that Jonathan cleared his throat.  
  
"Okay," he said, "I think now is as good a time as any to get everything out in the open and try to work through this." He eyed Jimmy. "Do you want to go first, Jimmy?"  
  
Jimmy was a little startled. Jonathan wasn't taking control of the situation, implying that just because he was the adult he was going to do the all talking. Still, the young photographer wasn't sure if he should or not. It was tempting, but he really wanted to hear what the Kents had to say before he said anything. He shook his head. "You can go, Mr. Kent," he said quietly.  
  
Jonathan raised an eyebrow, but he nodded. "Very well," he said. He took a deep breath. "Jimmy, we're not going to apologize for not telling you about Linda and Clark." Jimmy snorted. "Son, you -"  
  
"I'm not your son," Jimmy interrupted.  
  
Jonathan nodded, feeling a little hurt by the bitterness in Jimmy's voice. "Jimmy, you have to see things from our side: we can't just go around telling everyone about Linda and Clark."  
  
"I know that," Jimmy replied. "Believe me, I know that, but you can't expect me to be okay with having been lied to for two years by people I thought I could trust."  
  
"Jimmy, you can trust us," Martha said. "We understand that you're hurt and angry. Pete was just as hurt and angry as you are when Clark told him."  
  
"When did he find out?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"When Clark was sixteen, he told Pete," Jonathan replied. He sighed. "And it wasn't easy for Pete afterwards." He glanced at Martha, and she nodded. He turned back to Jimmy. "Jimmy, there was a point when they were seventeen and Lex Luthor and his father were looking into our family; they were trying to uncover Clark's secret."  
  
Linda tilted her head. She hadn't heard this before, and she was curious. "What happened, Dad?" she asked.  
  
"Well, Lionel Luthor hired an FBI agent named Loder to investigate Clark, and Loder went after Pete. He beat Pete up to try and get information, but Lex stopped him."  
  
Linda furrowed her eyebrows, as did Jimmy. "I thought Lex was trying to find out about Clark."  
  
"He was," Martha replied, "but he was also getting the FBI to investigate his father to get evidence that Lionel murdered his parents, but he didn't have anything to do with Loder going after Pete."  
  
"So, what happened?" Linda asked.  
  
"Well, Pete left Smallville, because he feared his safety," Jonathan answered, "and he was scared he'd betray Clark's secret."  
  
"But he didn't," Linda said. "And he came back too."  
  
Martha nodded. "After Lionel and Loder were killed that following summer." Linda looked confused, but Jimmy knew about Lionel and Luthor's fates already. "Linda, you see, Chloe helped gather evidence implicating Lionel in the murder of his parents, and her testimony, along with Lex and Clark's, helped put Lionel in jail. But shortly afterwards Lex was poisoned, and the safe house where Chloe and her father were staying blew up. Chloe, as you know, survived, but her father didn't." She took a deep breath. "A few months later, Lionel was killed in a jail fight, and Loder's car crashed, and then Chloe was revealed to be alive and Pete came back."  
  
Linda paused, then it clicked. "Lex," she simply stated.  
  
Jonathan nodded. "We don't know for sure; Clark and your mother and me had our suspicions, but we couldn't prove it." He turned to Jimmy. "Jimmy, we didn't want to see what happened to Pete or even Chloe happen to you; they got too close."  
  
"And they're still alive," Jimmy countered. "And I'm already too close. I already know Superman as a friend; the public knows that. My gosh, I've already been used as bait to set up Superman more times than I care to remember, but I knew that came with the territory of knowing him. I understood the risks then, and I still understand the risks, especially now that I know Clark and Superman are the same person."  
  
"But Jimmy, it's different when you know Clark's secret," Jonathan said. "Someone could hurt you to the point where you might let it accidentally slip. That's why Clark still worries over Chloe and Pete . . . that's why he won't tell Lois, and you know he really cares about her."  
  
Jimmy sighed; that sentence really cut deep--the implication that he really didn't matter--but he swallowed it, too tired of all of this to make an issue out of it when he knew he'd already lost. "If he really cared about her, he'd be honest with her. Relationships are built on honesty, and it's hard to trust people when they keep secrets from you." He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the hurt expression on Linda's face. Feeling bad, he reached over and took her hand, letting her know that it wasnt her he was directing his anger and frustration to; they had talked about that last night and again that afternoon; it was settled, and they were going to move on. The young photographer noticed the Kents were trying to ignore the fact that Jimmy was holding their daughter's hand. Jimmy allowed himself to smile a bit in Linda's direction. The smile faded as he turned back to the Kents.  
  
Jonathan sighed. "Jimmy, I -"  
  
"Look, it's getting really late," Jimmy interrupted quietly. "I need to go."  
  
"Jimmy," Jonathan replied, "I already said you're not leaving tonight. You're staying the night."  
  
"And does my mother know this?"  
  
"We called her and let her know you were here," Martha replied. "It was her idea for you to stay; she doesn't want you driving anymore than we do."  
  
"And I don't have a say in this?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"No," Jonathan said. Jimmy snorted.  
  
Linda sighed. "Jimmy, please," she said. "It's too dangerous to be driving right now."  
  
Jimmy looked like he was going to object, but he saw Linda giving him a horribly irresistible big-eyed innocent pleading look. He sighed. "Fine," he said.  
  
Linda smile. "Great," she replied. "You can stay in my room."  
  
"Young lady, did you forget this morning?" Jonathan asked sternly.  
  
Linda sighed. "I meant, he could stay in my room, and I could have the couch."  
  
"No," Jimmy replied. "I'm not kicking you out of your room, Linda."  
  
"Trust me, you couldn't kick me out of anything," Linda said. "Besides, I think it would be safer for me to sleep on the ground floor for a while."  
  
"Why?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"Well, I've been floating a lot lately . . .," Linda replied slowly. "Which isn't the problem; it's the crashing that's wearing out the floorboards." She was partially scared but partially excited about that . . . it meant she was getting closer to being able to fly.  
  
Jimmy furrowed his eyebrows. "Uh, but you didn't float last night."  
  
"Maybe I had a reason to stay grounded," Linda replied, smiling a little, her cheeks turning light pink. She normally wouldn't have said that out loud, even though she really meant it, she knew Jimmy needed to hear something like that. Jimmy allowed himself to smile a bit at that . . and at Linda blushing. It had made him feel a little better . . . just a little.  
  
"Linda," Jonathan said, his voice firm and unwavering. "Jimmy will be sleeping on the couch. You will be sleeping in your bed. Is that understood?"  
  
"But, Daddy, I -"  
  
"No buts, Linda," Jonathan said. "Now, Jimmy is right. It's getting late. Please go upstairs and get ready for bed."  
  
Linda narrowed her eyes briefly, but she didn't say anything. She looked back at Jimmy, smiling a bit. Night, Jimmy.  
  
Night, Linda. Jimmy's eyes widened, and Linda grinned. He couldn't believe he had just talked to her without talking. It was kinda . . . neat.  
  
"Come on, Linda," Martha said. She stood up, and Linda reluctantly followed.  
  
Jimmy watched her ascend the stairs. Sleep sweet, Linda. Even from a distance, he saw her cheeks grow red, then he glanced at Jonathan. His smile slowly faded as he sighed. "So, the couch, huh?" asked.  
  
"Yeah," Jonathan replied. "Now, why don't -" He stopped when Jimmy wordlessly got to his feet and headed into the living room, leaving a surprised and speechless Jonathan in the kitchen.  
  
(End of Chapter 11) 


	12. Chapter 12

- - - -  
  
Linda was flying high in the sky, above the clouds. She smiled as the wind whipped around her, and she sighed. She felt her clothes were a little tighter than normal, and she glanced down. She gasped when she saw what she was wearing. Red boots, red cape, and blue tights . . .with red underwear over them.  
  
"No!" she said, hovering in mid air as she tugged at the S-shield on her chest. "I am not Clark."  
  
"You have no choice, Nevaeh." Linda turned and saw Joseph floating nearby. "You will embrace your destiny."  
  
"No!" Linda shouted, crying as she tried to tear the S off her chest. "I want to make my own destiny!" All of a sudden, she was falling from the sky. She screamed and concentrated, but she couldn't remember how to fly. "Help!" But no one came as she fell towards the ground.  
  
- - - -  
  
Linda shouted as she opened her eyes and bolted into a sitting position. It took only a split second for her to register that she was three feet above her bed - before she fell. She crashed onto her bed, sitting still for a moment. The bed creaked and groaned . . . but the legs didn't break. Linda sighed with relief as she flopped back, her head hitting the pillows, glad that her father had gotten so tired of making a bed for her every time she fell from floating that he finally reinforced the frame with steel.  
  
She had just closed her eyes when she heard an incessant howling and scratching on her bedroom door. She looked over and saw Krypto scratching on the door, howling at the top of his little lungs. She groaned. "Can't you wait until morning?" she asked. She stopped. "No, of course you can't." She sighed as she got out of bed and padded over to the door, not bothering to shrug into her robe or even put on her slippers, shooting a glance at Streaky as the kitten lay sprawled in her cat bed, passed out. She opened the door, and Krypto scampered out, heading for the stairs. The young girl walked into the hall and nearly bumped into Jonathan.  
  
Linda knew they both looked silly, both in rumpled pajama pants and shirts (Jonathan wore blue plaid pants and a blue shirt, while Linda's pants were powder blue with clouds on them and a powder blue t-shirt. Jonathan's hair was mussed up, and Linda knew hers wasn't any better.  
  
"Hey, sweetie," he said quietly. "Everything okay?"  
  
"Yeah, Krypto just needs to go out," Linda replied.  
  
"I meant about the bed," Jonathan said.  
  
Linda looked confused, but she knew her father was attuned to the sound her nightly crashes made. She smiled. "The bed's still in one piece." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Daddy."  
  
Jonathan smiled and reached out, taking some of her tangled hair. "You know, I am so glad Rok-Var packed that metal comb with you. I don't think any Earth combs could stand up to these tangles, even if you didn't have powers."  
  
Linda smiled. "I'll go let Krypto out," she said. She headed for the stairs, but Jonathan stopped her.  
  
"Wait, sweetie," Jonathan replied. "We need to talk about Jimmy."  
  
Linda sighed. "Dad, I -"  
  
"I mean about you two being together." Linda didn't say anything, but she nodded. "Sweetie, I know you like him."  
  
"But you don't," Linda said as they walked down the stairs.  
  
"No, Linda, I do. It's just . . . are you sure Jimmy's someone you want to be with?"  
  
"Why are you even asking that?" Linda asked.  
  
"Because I don't want to see you get hurt," Jonathan asked.  
  
"Jimmy wouldn't hurt me," Linda replied.  
  
"But he has," Jonathan said.  
  
Linda sighed. "He was upset, Daddy. I can't blame him for that. I would be hurt too, especially after everything he's been through."  
  
"Like what?" Jonathan asked. "Look, I know we weren't honest with him, but he needs to understand we can't be honest with everyone about you and Clark."  
  
"He knows that," Linda replied. "He even told me he would have done the same thing if he was in our position, but you can't expect him to be okay with being lied to. Imagine being lied to like that. It would really hurt, and you'd have a hard time dealing with it."  
  
"I know," Jonathan replied.  
  
"Are you not going to let me see him anymore?" Linda asked.  
  
Jonathan sighed and put an arm around Linda's shoulders. "I'll need to talk it over with your mother, but I don't think that will be a problem. I just wanted to get your side of this and know where you stand." He smiled. "Now, let's go let Krypto out before he has an accident."  
  
Linda smiled and leaned into her father a bit as they headed down the stairs. They didn't see Krypto near the kitchen door, so they looked around. Linda spotted him in the living room, tugging on the blanket Jonathan had given him. She furrowed her eyebrows as she headed over, then she stopped just inside the living room.. She saw the pillow and the blanket on the couch - but no Jimmy.  
  
"Daddy, where's Jimmy?" Linda asked.  
  
Jonathan came over and looked at the couch. He furrowed his eyebrows, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions - yet. "Maybe he's in the bathroom." Krypto barked and started sniffing the floor. Keeping his nose to the ground Krypto headed for the door. He stopped and started pawing at the door, whimpering. Father and daughter headed over to the door and opened it, walking onto the porch.  
  
The night was black and cold, and fresh ice covered everything; Jonathan figured the storm hadn't passed more than an hour ago. The two looked out as Krypto headed down the stairs and scampered past the scalloped fence. They watched him run down the drive, not even contemplating stopping. Linda carefully hurried after her pet and she managed to catch her puppy before he got too far away from the house. She picked him up and headed back up the drive, holding him as he tried to squirm free, then she glanced over and stopped short. Jimmy's motorcycle was missing.  
  
"Um, Daddy?" Linda asked. "Jimmy's motorcycle isn't here."  
  
Jonathan looked over to where Jimmy's motorcycle had been, and he could see it was indeed gone. He sighed, frustrated, as he narrowed his eyes. He turned and headed back into the house, returning a few minutes later, wearing his jacket and a pair of his boots, holding a set of the truck keys in his hand. He marched down the porch steps and over to the red truck. "Linda, I want you to go back into the house with Krypto."  
  
"But, Daddy -"  
  
"Linda, don't argue with me," Jonathan replied.  
  
"I'm not," Linda said. "I'm just saying, do you think he's going to really listen to you after everything that's happened?"  
  
Jonathan stopped short, knowing his daughter was right. "Point taken," he said. He sighed. "Okay, go put up Krypto, and then you can" Linda blurred into the house and back out in no time at all, without Krypto in her hands "come with me." He stopped short and tilted his head. Even after all these years that still put him off a bit. "Let's get going, sweetie." He noticed she was staring off to one side, completely focused, and he quickly figured what she was doing. "Can you see him?"  
  
Linda nodded and looked back over. "He's about a quarter of a mile east of here, walking with his bike."  
  
"Let's get going," Jonathan said. He and Linda headed for the truck.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jimmy shivered as he walked his bike down the road. He would have grabbed his helmet from Linda's room before leaving, but he didn't want to wake her up. He knew she'd make him stay. He wished he had something to keep his ears warm, but he was thankful enough for his jacket and gloves, even if they weren't really doing a good job at keeping him warm. When he came to the intersection of Route 13 and Route 8 he balanced his bike carefully as he prepared to get on it, figuring he was far enough away from the farm to start the engine without anyone hearing him . . . and it wasn't like Linda's super-hearing had kicked in.  
  
He heard a motor sound and turned around. He froze when he saw the headlights, not sure what they were coming from. As they got close enough to see, Jimmy groaned when he saw the outline of a familiar red truck. The truck drove past him and turned, blocking three quarters of the pavement. Jimmy knew he could easily maneuver around the vehicle . . . if the pavement wasn't covered in ice; even he wasn't that good, and the last thing he wanted was a broken neck. He sighed as Jonathan got out of the truck.  
  
"Jimmy, do you realize that it is below freezing, the roads are covered in ice, it's the middle of the night, and that your mother told you to stay with us?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"It's only three hours," Jimmy said. "I'll be fine."  
  
"Until you crash," Jonathan replied.  
  
"Mr. Kent," Jimmy said, "you can't stop me from leaving if I really want to."  
  
Jonathan walked over to Jimmy, arms folded, leaning over to look the photographer in the eyes. "Jimmy," he said, his voice low with edge, "I am very tempted to show you just how capable I am of keeping you from leaving, but I'm very tired. You will get in the truck this instant and go back with me to the house and stay put until tomorrow."  
  
"Or what?" Jimmy asked, folding his arms.  
  
"Jimmy, you really don't want to go there," a familiar voice spoke up. Jimmy looked over and saw Linda getting out of the passenger side. He raised his eyebrows, surprised, as she padded over to her father, barefoot, wearing nothing but her pajama pants and shirt - no shoes, no jacket, nothing. Jimmy sighed and removed his jacket, handing it to Linda. "What are you doing?"  
  
"You're going to get cold," Jimmy replied. "Take it."  
  
"I'm not taking it," Linda said.  
  
"Take it," Jimmy replied.  
  
"No," Linda said, folding her arms.  
  
"Linda, stop being stubborn and take the jacket," Jimmy said.  
  
"I'm being stubborn?" Linda replied. "Look who's talking."  
  
"Okay, you two, knock it off," Jonathan interceded.  
  
Jimmy sighed, frustrated, walked over and slipped the jacket around Linda's shoulders, then he quickly scooted back over to his spot, out of Jonathan's reach. He frowned a bit as he crossed his arms, colder and more frustrated. He wondered how he could like Linda at the same time she got on his nerves .  
  
"So, you're taking his side now, huh?" he asked Linda.  
  
Linda sighed, frustrated. She wondered why she found Jimmy so endearing when she wanted to reach out and strangle him. "Jimmy, I don't want to see you get hurt or sick from being out here," she replied, her voice filled with concern. "And you are going to stay put until tomorrow." Jimmy snorted, and Linda raised an eyebrow. In a split second, Jimmy felt a rush of wind, and the keys that were in his hands were suddenly gone. Open-mouthed, he slowly looked up at Linda - and saw Linda tossing his keys from hand to hand, looking slightly smug. "Now, are you going to do what my father says or do you need more convincing?" Jimmy sighed, frustrated.  
  
Jimmy, please, Linda spoke to him softly. Please don't be mad at me. I care about you; I don't want you to get hurt or sick.  
  
You took my keys, Linda, he replied.  
  
If I give them back, will you promise to stay until tomorrow?  
  
Jimmy sighed, and slowly nodded. Yeah, I promise. He saw Linda smile, and he gave a small smile as he held his hand out. "Now, can I have my keys back?" Linda nodded and handed the keys back.  
  
"You two mind telling me what's going on?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Jimmy promised to stay," Linda replied. She headed for the bike and easily lifted it up, setting it gently in the truck bed. She turned to Jimmy. "Ready?"  
  
Jimmy sighed and headed over to the truck as Linda got in. He got in beside her and closed the door. Despite the fact Jonathan was tired and on edge from Jimmy's antics, having Linda there, convincing Jimmy with her speed that he needed to come back, was a bit entertaining. He did want to know what they had telepathically talked about, but decided it was something that wasn't important at the moment; he was just grateful Jimmy was coming back. He walked to the driver's side of the truck and got in, starting the engine and turning the truck back toward the farm  
  
(End of Chapter 12) 


	13. Chapter 13

- - - -  
  
"Okay," Jonathan said as they got in, "here's the plan. Jimmy, you and Linda are switching places for the remainder of the night."  
  
"Meaning?" Jimmy asked, slowly.  
  
"Meaning, you're taking Linda's room, and she'll be taking the couch," Jonathan answered. He saw Jimmy open his mouth. "No arguing."  
  
"But I don't want to kick Linda out of her bed," Jimmy said.  
  
"Jimmy, I'll be fine," Linda replied as she got out. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Now, I'm going to go put your bike up. Go get some rest."  
  
Jimmy raised an eyebrow. Linda had never been that direct with him before, and part of him kind of liked it. The rest of him was very tired and frustrated. He gave a small nod and headed toward the house as Jonathan walked over to his daughter.  
  
"Don't be too long in putting up the bike," Jonathan replied. "You need your rest just as much as Jimmy does."  
  
"Do you think he's mad at me?" Linda asked.  
  
"No," Jonathan replied. He leaned over and kissed Linda's forehead. "Now, go put his bike up, and then I'll tuck you in as soon as I make sure Jimmy's in bed."  
  
"Okay," Linda said. She watched her father walk to the house, then she glanced at the barn. She smirked as she grabbed the motorcycle's handles and walked the bike over to the red building.  
  
- - - -  
  
It was still an hour away from sunrise as Jimmy carefully padded down the hall, treading lightly as he carefully avoided the spots on the floorboards that creaked; he remembered them from walking the hall earlier, something Jonathan had failed to take into account. Jimmy rolled his eyes. Once again, he had been underestimated. This time, however, it was to his advantage. He heard small clicks behind him, and he turned and saw Krypto following him, wagging his little stub of a tail, his small head cocked to one side. Jimmy put a finger to his lips, hoping the puppy would get the message. Krypto got the message, but he still wagged his tail as he walked over to Jimmy. Jimmy allowed himself a small smile before turning and heading down the stairs, the small pup behind him.  
  
The two slowly padded into the living room, and Jimmy stopped when he saw Linda sleeping on the couch. She lay on her stomach, hugging her pillow close to her. Hair covered her eyes, she snored slightly, her blanket was bunched up around her feet . . . and she floated a couple inches off the cushions. Jimmy tried not to laugh, especially since Streaky was curled up on Linda's thighs, sleeping.  
  
The young photographer walked over to the coffee table and sat down, watching Linda sleep, trying to figure out how he could get the blanket up to cover Linda's shoulders without disturbing her or Streaky. Linda stirred as she stretched and yawned, opening her eyes. She glanced at Jimmy, smiling when she recognized him - and then she fell, landing with a soft 'whoop' onto the couch. Streaky, startled awake, jumped off Linda, her back and tail fur bristled.  
  
"Sorry, Streaky," Linda replied, sleepily as she slowly sat up. Streaky responded by hissing at her before flouncing away into the kitchen. Linda sighed and glanced at Jimmy. "Hey." She noticed he was trying not to laugh. "What?"  
  
"Nothing," Jimmy replied, snickering. "Just out of curiosity, does that happen a lot?"  
  
"Yeah," Linda answered. "You think she'd learn by now to accept it or stay off my legs." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Um, Jimmy, not that I don't mind you down here, but what are you doing here?" She glanced down as Krypto jumped onto the couch and curled up on Linda's blanket, yawning before closing his eyes. "Did Krypto bother you?"  
  
"No, just couldn't sleep any more," Jimmy replied. "Especially in someone else's room." His stomach growled, and he blushed. "And I'm hungry."  
  
Linda grinned and got to her feet. She grabbed Jimmy's hand and pulled him up. "Come on," she replied. "I got just the thing to satisfy your appetite."  
  
Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "Won't we wake your parents?"  
  
Linda shook her heads. "As long as we keep quiet, they should sleep just fine." She tugged him gently out of the living room.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jonathan yawned as he padded out of the bedroom, careful not to wake Martha. He headed for the bathroom, intending to wash his face and brush his teeth before getting dressed to do chores. He reached for the doorknob and stopped short when he heard strange noises coming from downstairs. He furrowed his eyebrows as he slowly walked over to the top, listening in.  
  
"Jimmy, stop that," Linda said softly, giggling.  
  
"Linda, shh," Jimmy replied. "This is my specialty, okay?"  
  
"Don't you think you're going overboard with something that's really supposed to take no time at all?"  
  
"Usually, yeah, but for you I want this to be perfect. After all, this is our first time."  
  
Jonathan's eyes widened as he bolted down the stairs. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked into the kitchen. He saw Jimmy and Linda making . . . .  
  
(End of Chapter 13) 


	14. Chapter 14

- - - -

"Pancakes?" Jonathan asked. Linda and Jimmy whirled around from their places at the stove. Linda wore an apron over her pajamas, and she had a light coat of flour on her cheeks. Jimmy stood next to her, a yellowish concoction on his face that Jonathan recognized as raw egg. Two skillets sat on the stove, one with chocolate chip pancake batter in it, and the other with beaten raw eggs.. Flames danced under the skillets, and the nearby countertops were cluttered with mixing bowls and spoons, flour and eggshells, a milk bottle with a little milk left, an opened bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chopped peppers, tomates, mushrooms, and grated cheese.

"Did you want something else?" Linda asked.

"Uh, no," Jonathan replied slowly. "No, pancakes are just fine, sweetie." He tilted his head. "I, uh, just wasn't expecting . . . this."

"What else were you expecting?" Jimmy asked, narrowing his eyes briefly.

Jonathan let the silent question pass without remarking. He walked over as the two teens went back to cooking. He watched them for a few minutes, eyeing Jimmy's eggs as the boy added the chopped vegetables and cheese and started mixing it all together.

"That looks good," Jonathan said.

"It's Jimmy's own recipe," Linda replied. She used a spatula to transfer the now fluffy pancake to a plate, then she grabbed a mixing bowl, poured some more batter into the skillet; she finished by adding a handful of chocolate chips. "He says they taste great."

Jimmy shrugged. "They're okay, I guess."

Jonathan smiled a bit. "I'm sure they taste great." His smile faded as he took a deep breath. He wanted to talk to the young photographer, but he wasn't sure what to say; Jimmy seemed to shun him everytime the farmer tried talking to him. "Uh, Jimmy, did you sleep well?" Jimmy shurgged as he turned, blushing slightly, focusing his attention on the eggs, making sure nothing burned.

Jonathan tilted his head. He wanted to do something - anything - to Jimmy, but he didn't know what. He sighed softly. "Well, it looks like you two have things under control. I'm going to get dressed and start on the chores." He turned and headed back up the stairs.

"So, when are you going to talk to them?" Linda asked. Jimmy shrugged. "Jimmy, you need to talk to them. Jackie and Hillary said you should."

"And I'm supposed to take the advice of two coffee shop managers?" Jimmy asked. "No offense, Linda, but those two are looney tunes."

"Jimmy, they're not cartoons," Linda replied.

Jimmy sighed. He loved Linda's naivite, but he wasn't really in the mood for it. Still, he didn't want to hurt her feelings. "I mean, they're crazy," he said gently.

"Well, yeah," Linda replied. "But they do make some valid points." Jimmy snorted, and Linda sighed, turning back to her skillet. After a few moments, she felt two arms wrap around her from behind. She closed her eyes and leaned back into Jimmy as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"I should just shut up," Linda replied.

"No, I like it when you talk," Jimmy said.

"Why won't you talk to Mom and Dad?" Linda asked, shrugging free from Jimmy. "Don't you want to work things out with them?"

"What's the point?" Jimmy asked. "It's not that important."

"How can you say that?" Linda asked. "I know they made some mistakes, but are you going to hold that against them for the rest of your life?" She sighed. "Jimmy, I know you've been through a lot, but you can't

keep everyone at a distance."

"I don't keep you at a distance," Jimmy replied.

Linda sighed. She had been thinking about her and Jimmy and where they stood with each other, but she had pushed it aside, hoping it would all work itself out. But it wasn't, and Linda knew she had to say something. "Yes, you do," she said quietly.

Jimmy stood, stunned at how Linda's demeanor had suddenly changed. He recognized pain in her voice, but he didn't know what had made her upset. "Linda, what's wrong?" he asked.

Linda sighed. "Jimmy, I . . . I did some thinking last night. About us."

Jimmy nodded, pursing his lips. "Don't say it, Linda," he said.

"Say what?" Linda asked.

"You're breaking up with me," Jimmy answered, a hint of hurt in his voice.

"No," Linda replied. "Jimmy, I really like you. A lot." She paused.

"But?" Jimmy asked.

"But you don't trust me," Linda said. "Not completely - you said so yourself."

"That doesn't mean we can't be together," Jimmy replied. "Right?"

Linda shrugged. "I don't know, Jimmy. I mean . . . I look at what Mom and Dad have: a relationship where they have complete honesty and trust with each other. And then I look at us, and I see the honesty, but I also see how much you don't trust me - and you have that right, because I lied to you . . . and part of me feels like I can't trust you, because you couldn't be honest with me about Lucy."

Jimmy lowering his head. "Yeah," he said. "Point taken." He looked up, smiling sadly. "I guess I screwed this up, huh?"

"You didn't screw it up," Linda replied. "I still like you, Jimmy. I've never met anyone like you, and I want us to be together."

Jimmy sighed. "So, what do we do?"

Linda shrugged. "I don't know," she replied. "I know you probably hate me, but you wanted me to be honest with you, and I needed to tell you this - even though I have no idea how to fix it."

Jimmy took a deep breath and pulled Linda to him, wrapping his arms around her. He rested his head next to hers as she hugged him back. "Don't worry," he said softly. "We'll figure something out. And I don't hate you." They just stayed there in the silence until they heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. They pulled apart and quickly went back to cooking as Jonathan descended, fully dressed. He saw the teens as they stood at the stove and smiled, totally unaware of what he had just missed as he headed out the kitchen door.

"Do you think he saw anything?" Jimmy asked as he scrambled eggs.

"Not sure," Linda replied. They worked in silence for a few minutes, then the kitchen door opened quickly, and Jonathan walked in, looking upset. The teens looked over and saw the farmer just standing there, blinking.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Linda asked after a few moments.

"Oh," Jonathan replied slowly. "Nothing's wrong, sweetie. I'm just a little confused."

"About what?" Linda asked.

He looked like he was choosing his words carefully. "Linda, sweetheart, when we got home with Jimmy last night, I think I asked you to put Jimmy's motorcycle away."

"No, you didn't, Daddy. You told me to put it up."

"Up. Uh huh." Jonathan nodded in a kind of circle, a universal sign of confundity. "I see."

Jimmy looked between the two with increasing anxiety. "Well, I don't--care to enlighten me? Linda, what did you do with my bike?"

Linda said nothing, just gave the young photographer a wide-eyed innocent look that could have won him a Pulitzer if he'd captioned it "Yeah, I'm an angel - kiss my halo."

Jonathan gestured toward the door, rubbing his forehead with the other hand. "Go on, see for yourself."

Eyes widening, Jimmy all but bolted for the kitchen door. He headed out onto the porch and looked over - and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. His bike was in one piece, at least it looked like it was in one piece; he couldn't get close enough to examine it. He turned around and walked slowly back into the kitchen.

"My bike is on the barn roof," he said slowly, his face pale. Linda said nothing as she transferred another pancake to the plate, adding more batter to the skillet. Jimmy walked over to Linda. "Linda, I said my bike is on the barn roof."

"I heard you the first time," Linda replied.

"Why is my bike on the barn roof?" Jimmy asked.

"Because it wouldn't fit in the cellar," Linda replied. "My ship took up a good portion of it, and we only have so much tarp." She took a chocolate chip from the bag and popped it into his mouth. "Have a chip."

Jimmy stood dumbfounded, the chip stuck between his lips. After a few moments, he sighed and chewed on the chip, swallowing it. "So, are you going to get it down any time soon, or did you weld it up there?"

Linda grinned slyly. "Now, there's an idea," she said.

"Oh, don't even think of going there," Jimmy said. "That bike cost me a year's pay."

In spite of everything Jonathan couldn't help but smile. He was amused, but he was also relieved. He didn't even want to imagine what would have happened to Jimmy if the farmer and Linda hadn't discovered him missing when they did. "Well, I'm going to get to work," he said. "Linda, I want the bike off the roof before sunrise, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Linda replied. Jonathan nodded and headed out the door, closing it behind him. Linda smiled and glanced at Jimmy as he started putting the eggs on a plate. "So, you want to know how I did it?"

"You put my bike on the roof," Jimmy replied.

"Well, I wouldn't have done it if you let me keep the keys," Linda said. "You see, you tried sneaking out of the house once; I wasn't going to let that happen again."

"So, you put my bike on the roof," Jimmy said. Linda nodded. Jimmy sighed and shook his head as he started cleaning up. Linda went back to her pancakes, pouring the last of the batter into the skillet. She handed the bowl to Jimmy as he started putting dishes in the sink without saying a work.

"If you scratched my bike," Jimmy said after a few minutes, "you know I'm going to have to get even." Linda snorted. Jimmy pointed a wooden spoon at her. "Kara Kent, do not underestimate me." Linda stood, frozen, staring at him. "What?"

"No one's called me Kara since I decided to go by Linda," Linda said softly.

"Do you want me to stop?" Jimmy asked.

Linda shook her head. "No, it's okay." She smiled a bit. "It's kind of . . . sweet, hearing someone call me that again." Jimmy smiled and blushed a bit, turning back to his work. Linda watched him work for a few moments before turning back to her pancakes, hiding the smile that threatened to escape.

- - - -

Clark and Lois stood in a deserted alley, carrying a couple of bags with various takeout cartons of Chinese food. Lois shivered in the cold, pulling her coat closer around her, grumbling slightly. Clark, of course, couldn't feel the bite of the weather, and he found himself having to fight not to laugh at his girlfriend.

"Remind me to kill Freddy," Lois growled.

"Hey, using him was your idea," Clark replied.

"Bite me," Lois glared at her partner.

"Nah, you probably don't taste that good." Lois and Clark turned around and saw a familiar figure standing in the shadows nearby. The figure walked out, and the two reporters stared at the gangly man with unkempt hair, dressed in shabby but warm clothes as he walked over to them. "So, what did you bring me today?"

"Freddy, do you know how hard it is to find a Chinese restaurant that's open this early on a Sunday morning?" Lois hissed. She pulled back as Freddy tried to rummage in the bags.

"Hey," Freddy protested. "I'm hungry!"

"And I'm cold," Lois retorted.

"Look, you want this information, you give me the food," Freddy said. "And believe me, it's worth every morsel."

Lois sighed and thrust the bags at Freddy. "It had better be." Freddy took the bags, and Lois crossed her arms. "Okay, now talk."

(End of Chapter 14)


	15. Chapter 15

- - - -  
  
Mary Olsen tapped her foot impatiently as she waited in the bus station with Bibbo. The woman glanced at her watch; Jimmy's bus was late. She sighed, trying her hardest not to pace. She still couldn't believe the trouble her son had gotten into: sneaking out in the middle of the night, riding his cycle three hours on ice, and spending the night in a girl's room.  
  
"Where did I go wrong?" Mary asked.  
  
Bibbo put a hand on her shoulder. "Ya didn't do nothin' wrong," he said.  
  
"I must have done something wrong," Mary said. "Jimmy's never acted this way."  
  
"He's in love," Bibbo replied. "Doesn't excuse his behavior, but he is in love."  
  
"He's not in love," Mary said. "He's just a kid. What does he know about love?" She sighed, her expression softening. "I'm sorry, Bibbo. I just . . . I want to know what my son was thinking."  
  
"Well, you'll get that chance," Bibbo said, staring down the street. Mary looked over and saw a bus approaching. The two watched as the bus slowed and stopped next to the curb. The doors opened, and people got off the bus. After a few minutes, Jimmy stepped off and looked around. His eyes locked with his mother's, and he lowered his head, knowing he was in for it.  
  
Mary narrowed her eyes as she marched over to her son. "Are you okay?" she asked. Jimmy shrugged. "James Bartholomew Olsen, you better watch it; you're in enough trouble as it is."  
  
"I'm fine," Jimmy said. He pulled the work jacket he wore tighter around him.  
  
Mary finally noticed her son was wearing an unfamiliar jacket. "Whose jacket is that?" she asked.  
  
"Mr. Kent's," Jimmy replied. "He wouldn't let me leave without it."  
  
"What happened to yours?" Mary asked.  
  
"I, uh . . . forgot to grab it from my room," Jimmy answered slowly.  
  
Mary raised her eyebrows. "Let me get this straight: you snuck out two nights ago, forgot your jacket, rode three hours on your motorcycle on ice, and spent Friday night in a girl's room."  
  
"Nothing happened," Jimmy replied.  
  
"That's beside the point, Jimmy," Mary said. "You broke the rules. Not just our rules but the Kents' rules as well." She sighed. "Jimmy, what's going on with you? You've been doing so well, and now you're pulling stunts like these. Ever since you met Linda, you've been getting into some kind of trouble."  
  
"Leave Linda out of this," Jimmy said.  
  
"I don't think you're in a position to be telling me what to do, young man," Mary said. "Now, we'll continue this back home. Let's go." She pointed across the street. Jimmy saw the car parked next to the curb. He sighed and headed for it with Mary walking beside him. Bibbo met them at the car, and the three silently got in, Mary driving, Bibbo in the front beside her, and Jimmy in the back. Mary started the engine and pulled away, heading into the city traffic.  
  
- - - -  
  
Monday came around, and Linda found herself trudging through the halls of Smallville High once again. She went to her locker and opened it, getting her books, thinking about what Jimmy was up to. Mary Olsen had called the Kents to let them know Jimmy had gotten home in one piece - and was promptly grounded for what he did. Thankfully, Mary had been convinced - with a little help from Jonathan and Martha - to let Jimmy talk with Linda over the web cams. Linda smiled, already looking forward to later that night.  
  
"Hey, girl," Mattie said as she and Andy walked up.  
  
"Hey," Linda smiled back. "How was your weekend?"  
  
"Not bad," Andy replied. "Got an extra day to finish that paper, then just chilled for the rest of the weekend, no pun intended."  
  
"Hey, we're getting together at the Talon after school," Mattie said. "You in?"  
  
"Sorry," Linda replied as she put books into her backpack. "I can't."  
  
"Why not?" Mattie asked.  
  
"I'm grounded," Linda answered.  
  
"Again?" Andy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Linda, how can you keep getting grounded?" Linda shrugged.  
  
"So, what did you do this time?" Mattie asked.  
  
"Dad caught Jimmy and me in bed Saturday morning," Linda replied. She waited for their reactions, but she didn't hear anything. She glanced over and did a double take. Both Mattie and Andy were staring at her, eyes wide, mouths open. "What?"  
  
"You . . . and Jimmy?" Mattie asked slowly. "The same Jimmy that you were having problems with three weeks ago?"  
  
"Yeah," Linda replied. "We made up."  
  
"Oh, I bet you did," Andy murmured.  
  
Linda gave them a look. "Nothing happened, you guys. Honest. We just talked."  
  
"So, what was his problem?" Mattie asked. Linda glanced at her friends, and Mattie got the hint. "Okay, okay, we get it. No prying into your romantic life."  
  
Linda smiled. "Because there's really not much to pry into."  
  
"What's wrong?" Andy asked, noticing the hint of sadness in Linda's voice.  
  
Linda sighed. "Jimmy and I are kinda . . . I don't know, not sure where we are right now. We still have a few things to work out."  
  
"Well, you know we're here if you need any help," Mattie said, putting an arm around Linda's shoulders.  
  
Linda smiled. "Thanks. Oh, and can we kinda keep this whole thing quiet about me and Jimmy?"  
  
"Sure," Andy replied. "It'll stay just between us girls."  
  
"What?" Dick asked as he walked up to the trio with Buzz.  
  
"Just girl stuff," Mattie replied.  
  
"Fine," Buzz said. "So, did you guys tell Linda about our plans?"  
  
"Yeah, and Linda can't come," Andy replied. "She's been grounded."  
  
"Again?" Dick asked. "Linda, don't you think you should know by now that doing things your parents hate will get you into trouble?"  
  
"Well, I didn't think sleeping with Jimmy was a bad thing, okay?" Linda asked, slightly frustrated. She stopped short, realizing what she just said, and she slowly glanced at Dick and Buzz. Buzz looked like an insect with how his eyes bugged out. Dick was a different story. He was frowning slightly, almost like he was disappointed with Linda. He nodded, pursing his lips. Linda shifted uneasily on her feet; she knew Dick still had feelings for her. She sighed. "Nothing happened, okay? We just talked."  
  
"What in the world could you two possibly have to talk about?" Dick asked.  
  
"A lot," Linda replied.  
  
Dick sighed. "Look, Linda, I really think -"  
  
"Dick, don't, okay?" Linda interrupted. "Just don't." She sighed. "Look, I thought we already settled things between us. I know you don't like Jimmy, but I do, and regardless of what you think about him, he's a great guy, so either be happy for me, or just don't even bother." Linda brushed past everyone and headed down the hall toward her class, leaving her friends standing in shock.  
  
Linda walked into her biology class and over to her seat. She plopped down onto her stool with a soft sigh. She put her arms on the table, just resting her head on her arms, closing her eyes, trying to figure out why in the world she was getting so py with people lately. She was frustrated with how Dick would treat her at times because of his feelings for her, but it wasn't like her to snap at him.  
  
"Linda?"  
  
Linda recognized the voice, but she didn't even look up. "What, Dick?" she asked softly.  
  
"I'm sorry," Dick replied, taking the stool next to her.  
  
Linda looked up. She sighed, her expression softening a bit. "Dick, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry about that, but I don't appreciate how you act around me sometimes."  
  
Dick shrugged. "It goes both ways, you know."  
  
"How?" Linda asked. "I don't go around acting like a jealous girlfriend."  
  
"No, you don't, but you aren't Little Miss Perfect either," Dick replied.  
  
Linda raised an eyebrow. "And what is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Dick sighed. "Linda, you're my friend, and I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't think you needed to hear it, but I get this feeling that you don't really like yourself."  
  
Linda looked at him, confused. "What?"  
  
"Just listen to me, okay?" Dick asked. "I don't know what your life was like before you moved here; it's not my place to pry, and I won't. But ever since I've known you, you seem so hell bent on seeing how many dangerous things you can do - with no regards to your own safety or for how everyone else would feel if something happened to you." Linda glanced away, hanging her head. Dick put a hand on her shoulder. "I just . . . you're special, Linda, and I can't help but worry about you."  
  
Linda snorted. If only you knew, Dick, she thought.  
  
"I just don't want to see you get hurt," Dick said. "Especially after what nearly happened with Darrien."  
  
"Jimmy is not like Darrien," Linda replied. "He's a great guy."  
  
"Who walked out on you after saying he liked you."  
  
"He was mad about something. He had that right."  
  
"What could he possibly mad at, huh?" Dick asked. "What freaked him out so much that he wouldn't talk with you for three weeks?"  
  
"I can't tell you," Linda replied. "Jimmy and I still have a few things to work out."  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Like trying to figure out where we stand with each other," Linda replied. "Look, I appreciate the concern, Dick, and it's not like I mean to look for dangerous things." Not all the time, anyway, she thought. She sighed. "So, where does this put us?"  
  
"I'm still your friend," Dick said. "I just want to you to start being more careful, okay? We can't lose you - I can't lose you."  
  
Linda was touched. "I'll do my best," she replied quietly. She smiled. "And what about you?"  
  
Dick sighed, giving a small smile. "I will do my best not to act like a jealous boyfriend. However, if I feel you're doing something stupid or dangerous . . . I will say something."  
  
"Can I do the same for you?" Linda asked.  
  
Dick chuckled. "Sure." Linda grinned, and their teacher came in. The two friends faced forward, smiling, glad they had reached an understanding. Life was complicated enough for them, and the less they had to deal with, the better.  
  
- - - -  
  
Jimmy wordlessly stepped off the elevator and headed for his desk. School bit, and the last thing he really wanted to do was to go to work, but it was money . . . and money spoke volumes to a teenager who didn't have any. He just hoped that people would leave him alone. He sighed as he put his backpack and camera bag on his desk.  
  
"Olsen!" Perry stuck his head out his office door. "My office! Now!"  
  
Jimmy closed his eyes. "So much for that," he muttered. He exhaled loudly as he walked over and into his boss' office. "What?"  
  
"Sit down," Perry said as he closed his door. He walked over and sat at his desk while Jimmy stood on the other side. "Jimmy, sit."  
  
"I'd rather stand, Chief," Jimmy replied.  
  
"Okay," Perry said. "I'm going to cut to the chase." He took a deep breath. "Your mother called earlier today. She's worried about you."  
  
"Really?" Jimmy asked, folding her arms.  
  
"Yes, really," Perry answered. "What's going on, Jimmy?"  
  
"Nothing," Jimmy replied.  
  
"Nothing?" Perry asked. "Jimmy, you snuck out after an ice storm in the middle of the night, without a jacket, rode three hours on a motorcycle, and spent the night in Linda's room - and I'm assuming Clark doesn't know yet, because he hasn't threatened you with bodily harm."  
  
"What's your point, Chief?" Jimmy asked. "I got work to do."  
  
"I'm saying your behavior lately is worrying a lot of people - your mother especially," Perry said. "I don't know what's going on with you, but you need to talk to someone."  
  
"I already did, thanks," Jimmy replied. "Anything else?"  
  
Perry raised an eyebrow. He wouldn't take that lip from an adult on his staff, and there was no way he was going to take it from Jimmy. Jimmy was part of the staff, and Perry treated all the staff as if they were his kids. The editor got to his feet, leaning forward, resting his knuckles on the desk. "No, son, that's not it. First of all, you can be mad at the whole dn world, for all I care, but you do not come into my office acting like a three-year-old on a temper tantrum, no matter what's eating you. You got that? Secondly, you're going to sit in that chair and tell me what's eating you, because you've got a wonderful mother who's worried sick about you."  
  
Jimmy folded his arms. "And if I don't?"  
  
Perry narrowed his eyes. "You don't want to have an attitude around me, because I take no prisoners. Now, sit." He was glad that Jimmy finally had enough sense to shut up and obey his boss. Perry waited for Jimmy to sit before he sat himself. "Now, what is going on with you, Jimmy?"  
  
"Nothing is going on, Chief."  
  
"Uh huh . . . why do I have a feeling this has something to do with Linda?"  
  
Jimmy sighed. "Why do people think it's always about a girl?"  
  
"Because this attitude of yours - not to mention the amount of trouble you've gotten into - really didn't sprout since you've met her - you helped her commit grand theft auto on your birthday, remember? Not to mention the fighting, the sneaking out . . . Lucy . . . ."  
  
"Look, Linda and I talked about a lot of things - Lucy included - and we settled all that, and we've moved on."  
  
"Son, I've been in this game long enough to know a lie when I see one . . . Linda's a part of the problem, isn't she? And the way you've been moping around here . . . so are Clark and Lois and Chloe."  
  
"Don't forget yourself, Chief," Jimmy replied.  
  
Perry was surprised. "Excuse me?"  
  
"You heard me - you're part of the problem, which is why I don't want to talk to you," he said as he got to his feet. "I got film to develop - catch you later." He stormed out of the office, leaving Perry sitting at his desk, shocked.  
  
Jimmy sighed as he marched over to his desk and grabbed his camera bag. He rummaged around in it, looking for the three film canisters he knew he put in there earlier that morning. He found them quickly and pulled them out.  
  
"So, I heard you had an interesting weekend," a distinctly annoying voice said.  
  
Jimmy didn't have to turn around to know who it belonged to: Carl Perkins. Jimmy sighed. He didn't like the reporter one bit: Carl was in his mid-forties, self-centered, annoying, obnoxious, vulgar, and looked for any kind of juicy gossip, regardless of how he got it (usually by listening in on private conversations) or who it affected. Jimmy didn't know why Perry kept Carl around.  
  
"What are you talking about, Carl?" Jimmy asked. His nerves were so shot at the moment that a conversation with the reporter was the last thing he wanted to deal with.  
  
"Overheard you and Perry talking in his office," Carl said, smirking. "So, uh, you and Kent's cousin, huh?"  
  
"Don't you ever keep your nose out of other people's business?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"So, it did happen, huh?" Carl said. He whistled softly. "Not bad, Olsen." Carl grinned and pat Jimmy's shoulder. "Come on, I'll treat you to dinner. We can celebrate."  
  
Jimmy stood there, silently counting to ten. He gave up at five, dropped his film canisters, and pivoted on his feet, grabbing Carl's shirt collar. He threw Carl onto his desk, scattering his camera bag and backpack, papers and pens onto the floor. The entire newsroom halted, and everyone stared, but the young photographer didn't care as he got in Carl's face.  
  
"You know what?" Jimmy said, his voice low. "What happened between Linda and me is none of your business, so I suggest you stay out of it." He let go of Carl and grabbed the film canisters, then he turned and stormed towards the elevator.  
  
Carl slowly got to his feet and straightened his shirt, smirking. "Guess he's a little cranky from lack of sleep," he said.  
  
"Perkins!" Perry bellowed, frowning from his open office door. "My office! Now!" Carl straightened up and walked over to his boss' office, then Perry turned to his newsroom. "Get back to work, or you're all fired!" He walked into his office, slamming his office door shut.  
  
Chloe watched worriedly as Jimmy got on the elevator and the doors closed behind him. She sighed as she walked over to Jimmy's desk and started cleaning up the mess, wondering what had happened to make Jimmy outright attack Carl. She would have thought it had been the fight between Linda and Jimmy a few weeks back, but her instincts told her it was something else. She was tempted to call the Kents, but she didn't want to stir up a hornet's nest. She finished straightening up, then she headed back to her desk to do some paperwork.  
  
- - - -  
  
Thirty minutes later Clark and Lois got off the elevator and headed into the newsroom, having spent a better part of the day checking out some of the information Freddy had given them. They'd found some answers on their own, but they knew they'd need the rest of the team to nail down the rest. As they headed to their desks they slowed when they realized that the entire newsroom was staring at them - more precisely Clark. Others whispered and pointed.  
  
"What, I got something on my nose?" Clark asked, jokingly. Both Lois and Clark looked over as Chloe hurried over.  
  
"Chloe, what's going on?" Lois asked.  
  
"Well, let's see," Chloe replied. "About thirty minutes ago Jimmy threw Carl onto his desk and told him that whatever happened between him and Linda was none of Carl's business. He wouldn't say what the business was, but I have a strong feeling it wasn't about their fight a few weeks ago. Then Perry called Carl into his office, and he's been yelling at him ever since."  
  
"Whoa, whoa," Clark said, holding up a hand, "are you saying that Carl thinks that Jimmy and Linda . . . ."  
  
"The phrase is 'slept together,'" Lois replied.  
  
"Thanks for the image, Lois," Clark said wryly.  
  
"No problem, Kent," Lois replied. She looked at her cousin. "So, you think Jimmy and Linda slept with each other?"  
  
"I can't believe you two would even think that," Clark said, frowning.  
  
"No, of course not," Chloe replied.  
  
"Yeah," Lois added.  
  
"Thank you," Clark said.  
  
"I mean, for starters," Lois continued, "you didn't mention anything to us." Clark turned to her, mouth gaping. "What? Clark, Jimmy and Linda are two teenagers who like each other, as much as you don't want to think so, and as much as they try to deny it."  
  
"That doesn't mean they'd sleep with each other," Clark said. "Besides, if they had, Mom and Dad would have told me." He glanced at his phone, trying to convince himself that what he said was true, but after a few moments he hurried over and dialed his parents' number.  
  
"So, you don't really think that Jimmy and Linda slept together?" Chloe asked.  
  
"Well, teenagers can surprise you," Lois replied. "After all, I wasn't expecting to catch Lucy in bed with the quarterback from her school."  
  
Chloe nodded. She remembered getting the call last week from Lois, learning that one of Lucy's recent acts of rebellion for being forced to go to a psychiatrist had been to sleep with the high school quarterback Chloe pitied her little cousin, hoping her doctor could find out what was going on in the teenager's head. "Yeah, but Jimmy and Linda aren't like Lucy, no offense."  
  
Lois shrugged. "Yeah, I know," she replied quietly. She sighed. "Well, while that mess gets settled, you want to help me with some stuff?"  
  
"Sure," Chloe replied. She headed off to Lois' desk with her cousin.  
  
Clark listened to the ringing, hoping someone would answer. After three rings, someone finally picked up.  
  
"Hello?" Martha asked.  
  
"Hey, Mom," Clark said.  
  
"Hi, Clark," Martha replied, smiling. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm good," Clark answered. He hesitated. "Uh, Mom, did anything happen this weekend after I left? Anything . . . out of the ordinary?"  
  
"Why do you ask, Clark?" Martha asked slowly.  
  
"Oh, no reason," Clark replied. "There are just rumors going around that Jimmy and Linda slept together this weekend, but I know that's not true." He heard nothing from his mother, and he raised an eyebrow. "It's not true, right, Mom?"  
  
"Clark, you know Jimmy and Linda," Martha replied. "What do you think?"  
  
Clark sighed. "I know, Mom, but it's just been . . . crazy lately."  
  
"I know, honey," Martha said. She paused. "Why don't you talk with Jimmy?"  
  
Clark raised an eyebrow, but he sighed. "I'll see what I can do."  
  
"Good," Martha replied.  
  
"Give my love to everyone?" Clark asked.  
  
"Of course," Martha answered. "Love you, sweetie."  
  
"Love you too, Mom," Clark replied, smiling before he hung up. He looked up as Perry's door opened and Carl walked out. Clark's smile faded, and he ignored the fact that Carl's head was hung low as he walked over and grabbed Carl's collar, slamming him into a nearby wall. The newsroom halted as everyone stopped and stared . . . again. Perry rushed out of his office.  
  
"Kent, what are you doing?" he asked, trying to pry Carl from Clark's grip, but he couldn't. Chloe and Lois rushed over, trying to help.  
  
"This piece of trash has been spreading rumors about Linda and Jimmy," Clark replied, glaring at the other reporter. "I have had it with him getting away with it."  
  
"He's not going to get away with it this time, Clark," Perry said. "I just fired him."  
  
"What?" Clark asked.  
  
"Yeah, so let me go, man," Carl as he squirmed.  
  
Clark narrowed his eyes as he pulled Carl close. "Let me tell you something about the two teenagers whose lives you were going to tarnish. First of all, my cousin is not the slut you make her out to be. Secondly, Jimmy Olsen is a good kid. He's decent and honorable, unlike you, you piece of slime." He let go of Carl's shirt. "If I ever hear you talking about them - ever - I will hunt you down, and you will have to deal with me personally. Do I make myself clear?" Carl simply nodded, then he pushed past Clark to go to his desk. Clark watched him, then he turned back to Perry. The reporter sighed as his boss looked at him, arms folded.  
  
"Look, Chief," he said, "I'm -"  
  
"- going into my office," Perry interrupted. "Now." Clark nodded and walked into Perry's office. As everyone returned to their work, Perry saw something out of the corner of his eye and looked over. Jimmy was standing near the stairwell door, an unreadable expression written all over his face. Perry didn't know what to say, but he shot the teenager a sympathetic look before walking in and shutting his office door behind him.  
  
(End of Chapter 15) 


	16. Chapter 16

- - - -  
  
Linda finished putting her books away and getting things ready for the next day, then she hurried over to her computer and switched it on. She waited as it booted up, then she started the instant messenger and web camera programs Jimmy helped install before he left. The computer pinged when she connected, and she could see Jimmy's screen name 'RidleyFreeborn' in the online category. She double-clicked on his name, and a screen opened up, showing Jimmy sitting at his desk. Linda smiled.  
  
"Hi," she said.  
  
Jimmy gave her a tired smile. "Hey," he replied. "Good, it seems to be working."  
  
Linda raised an eyebrow at the room behind Jimmy. "Is that your room?" she asked, seeing an environment vastly different from hers. Clothes strewn on the floor, unmade bed, papers and various other things scattered on a cluttered desk..  
  
"Hey, my room is my room," Jimmy said. "I didn't say anything about yours when I was there."  
  
"Because mine was clean," Linda replied.  
  
"Hey, it's not my fault you're weird," Jimmy said. Linda crinkled her face and stuck her tongue out, and Jimmy managed a little chuckle. "So, how was your day?"  
  
"Not bad," Linda replied. She didn't want to delve into what happened with her friends - not just yet. "Yours?"  
  
Jimmy shrugged. "It had its moments."  
  
Linda knew something was bothering Jimmy, but she didn't want to pry. She simply nodded as she leaned forward. "So, um, you going to explain to me about your name?" She smiled a bit. "You did promise to tell me yours after I told you what mine was."  
  
Jimmy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He really wanted to be in a good mood for Linda, but with what happened at the Planet earlier today, he couldn't bring himself to be that way. "Well, Ridley Freeborn is my D&D character's name."  
  
Linda furrowed her eyebrows as she tilted her head. "D&D?"  
  
Jimmy nodded. "Dungeons and Dragons. It's a type of game where people dress up in costumes and pretend to be these other characters."  
  
"Like Clark does?" Linda asked.  
  
"No," Jimmy replied. "It's a bit different."  
  
Linda noticed Jimmy looked more sullen than usual. "Jimmy, what's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing," Jimmy replied.  
  
Linda sighed. "Jimmy, we promised to be honest with each other. I know you're not being honest with me."  
  
"It was just a bad day," Jimmy replied. "But it got dealt with."  
  
"What happened?" Linda asked.  
  
"Trust me, you don't want to know," Jimmy answered.  
  
"Jimmy, I can handle more than you think I can," Linda replied.  
  
Jimmy sighed. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." He paused. "My mom called Perry and told him about what happened this weekend, because Mom said she was worried about me."  
  
"I know the feeling," Linda replied quietly.  
  
Jimmy blushed slightly. "Yeah," he said softly. "Uh, well, anyway, this one jerk reporter listened in and started spreading a rumor that we had slept together." Linda closed her eyes, lowering her head. "Linda, I'm sorry."  
  
"Wasn't your fault," Linda said. She sighed. "So, how did Clark react?"  
  
"Well, he wasn't there at the time," Jimmy replied. "Perry ended up firing the guy." He didn't want to tell Linda about what he did to Carl (not that it mattered), what Clark did, or what he overheard Clark say about him.  
  
Linda raised an eyebrow. "So, Clark still doesn't know?"  
  
Jimmy sighed. So much for that plan, he thought. He rolled the words around in his mouth, trying to make sure he didn't say anything to upset Linda. "Uh, well -"  
  
Linda looked over as she heard a familiar whooshing sound. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Uh, Jimmy, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but Clark just flew in."  
  
Jimmy nodded. "I'll let you go, then," he said. He smiled sadly. "Talk to you tomorrow?"  
  
Linda sighed. She really wanted to stay and talk with Jimmy, but before she could even open her mouth, Jimmy closed the window, and his screen name switched to the offline category. Linda sat, stunned, staring at the blank screen.  
  
"Linda!" Jonathan called from downstairs.  
  
"Coming!" Linda replied. Linda switched her computer and headed downstairs. She smiled when she saw Clark standing near the kitchen door, but she stopped short when she saw his angry expression, his arms folded. Linda walked slowly over to her parents as they stood near the island. "What's going on?"  
  
"That's what I want to know," Clark replied. He looked at his parents. "Why didn't you tell me that Jimmy paid you guys a visit this weekend - and that he slept with Linda?"  
  
"Oh, because we thought we'd try a new game this week," Jonathan replied. "It's called discretion. You played a version of it years ago - you called it respect."  
  
"Jimmy said you didn't even know," Linda replied. Everyone looked at her. "We were talking on the computer."  
  
Clark sighed. "Look, Perry told me everything this afternoon, so I know nothing happened, which I'm relieved to hear, but I'm still confused as to why I wasn't told about it."  
  
"Well, would you want Mom and Dad telling me if Lois spent the night at your place?" Linda asked. "Even if nothing happened?"  
  
"Because it would be none of your business," Clark replied.  
  
"Well, same goes for me," Linda said. "Jimmy came to talk to me. Then we fell asleep together. That's it."  
  
"Uh, not quite," Clark replied. "You see, you and Jimmy are minors, so us adults get to know what's going on in your lives - whether you like it or not."  
  
"So, when I turn eighteen, then those rules won't apply to me," Linda said, folding her arms.  
  
"Don't even go there, Linda," Jonathan replied.  
  
"But that doesn't make sense," Linda said. "How come the rules apply to me but not to Clark?" She frowned at Clark. "You know, Clark, maybe Jimmy was right in not saying a word to anyone but me." Clark furrowed his eyebrows, confused. Linda snorted. "Oh, it is so nice not to be the last person who knows for a change."  
  
"Knows what?" Clark asked.  
  
Linda snorted. "If you can't figure it out," she said, "I'm not going to tell you." She turned and headed back up the stairs.  
  
Clark sighed, looking at his parents. "What's with everyone lately?" he asked.  
  
Jonathan shrugged. "Oh, you know how it gets around the holidays, Clark," he replied. "Everyone gets on everyone's nerves."  
  
"So, there's nothing I need to know about?" Clark asked.  
  
"No, not really," Martha answered. She smiled as she reached over and picked up a foil-wrapped container. "I made a pie. Why don't you take it, sweetie. It's still warm."  
  
"Okay, if I didn't know you any better," Clark said, taking the pie, "I'd think you were bribing me." Martha just smiled.  
  
"So, how's your story coming?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Well, Lois and I got some got some answers today," Clark replied. "And a possible suspect, but Jimmy and Chloe are checking him out to see if he's connected. No need to chase false leads." He got serious. "Are you sure nothing's the matter?"  
  
"Clark," Jonathan said, "things are a little off kilter around here at the moment, but it's nothing we can't handle. You concentrate on getting that killer." He smiled. "You know, now that you mention it, could you do us a favor?"  
  
"Sure," Clark replied. "What do you need?"  
  
"I don't know how much Perry told you," Jonathan said, "but Jimmy's bike and helmet are still here."  
  
"We didn't want him to ride back on the ice," Martha explained, "so we made him leave the bike and take the bus."  
  
Clark raised an eyebrow. "Really?" That was the first he'd heard about it.  
  
Jonathan nodded. "Yep, I'm surprised the boy hasn't gotten pneumonia or anything."  
  
Clark had to agree with his father. Of course, with all the stuff Jimmy had been involved with lately, the reporter was surprised Jimmy wasn't dead. He sighed. "So, where is it?"  
  
"It's in the barn," Jonathan replied, trying not to smile, thinking about how that bike had been on top of the barn the day before. He hoped Clark didn't notice he was biting his lip.  
  
Clark simply nodded and kissed his mother's cheek, then he hugged his father. "Love you both," he said.  
  
"Love you too, son," Jonathan replied, hugging his son back before ruffling Clark's hair. Martha hugged her son as well and kissed his cheek. Clark smiled and headed out the door with his foil-wrapped pie. The Kents watched him from the closed screen door as he headed to the barn.  
  
"You didn't tell him about the bike," Martha said.  
  
"You didn't tell him about Jimmy knowing," Jonathan countered.  
  
"Touche," Martha replied. They watched in silence as Clark rolled the bike out of the barn. He carefully balanced the helmet and pie on the bike, then they watched as he slowly floated into the air. After reaching a certain altitude, he headed east. The Kents smiled as they heard that familiar sonic boom before they closed the kitchen door and started getting things ready for dinner.  
  
- - - -  
  
"I can't believe you faked being my Chem partner," Jimmy said, crossing his arms as he sat at his desk. He tried to look angry; he had been working on something, and he didn't like being disturbed while he was working, but part of him was glad to be talking with Linda.  
  
"I can't believe you hung up on me," Linda countered. Jimmy replied by sticking his tongue out. Linda chuckled, then her smile faded. "So, uh, do you really not want to talk to me?"  
  
"No, it's not that," Jimmy replied. He stopped, furrowing his eyebrows. "Wait, how did you know that?" He saw Linda blush. "Linda, did you mind meld me?"  
  
"What?" Linda asked.  
  
"You know," Jimmy said. He put his fingers on his head, then he made a weird humming noise.  
  
"For your information, I don't hum . . .," Linda replied, insulted. "Or mind meld, whatever that means."  
  
Jimmy sighed. "I mean, did you read my mind?"  
  
"Well," Linda replied slowly. "Kinda." Jimmy frowned. "Jimmy, I wanted to make sure that you wanted to talk with me. I didn't want to impose."  
  
"So, you read my mind instead?" Jimmy asked. "Linda, you can't do that."  
  
Linda lowered her head as tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.  
  
Jimmy softened. "Oh, Linda, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to yell."  
  
"No, I deserved it," Linda replied. "Daddy says I'm not supposed to do that." She looked up. "Are you going to tell him?"  
  
Jimmy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No, I won't," he replied. He put his hand on his screen. "Hey, could you put your hand up here?" Linda hesitated, but she slowly put her hand on the screen, matching Jimmy's hand with hers. "It'll be our little secret."  
  
"Not that we don't have any, right?" Linda asked, smiling a bit.  
  
Jimmy chuckled. "Right." He sighed. "Hey, look, I'm sorry about hanging up like that. I thought you wanted to go see Clark."  
  
"Not as much as I want to see you," Linda replied. "Oh, and speaking of Clark, you should be getting your bike back soon. He's bringing it home."  
  
"Thanks for the heads up," Jimmy replied, blushing at the fact that Linda wanted to spend time with him over her cousin. He didn't believe it, but he still liked hearing it. "Uh, I really hate to do this, but I do need to get going. I'm researching some stuff for Clark and Lois."  
  
"What kind of research?" Linda asked. "Anything to do with that string of recent murders with the freaky toy weapons?" Jimmy gave her a look. "Mom and Dad told me about it after Clark told them, and that's all they've told me."  
  
Jimmy slowly grinned. "So, you know practically nothing at all."  
  
"I wouldn't say that," Linda replied, smiling. "I do have friends at the Torch, and they're really good at research." Her grin got wider. "However, there's only so much they can do." She leaned forward. "But I'm sure you could fill in a few gaps, Mr. Olsen."  
  
Jimmy chuckled as he leaned forward. "Well, I think I can spare a few minutes." He leaned over and grabbed a manila folder containing some research papers, trying to distract himself from thinking about how beautiful Linda was in the dim light of her room.  
  
(End of Chapter 16) 


	17. Chapter 17

- - - -  
  
"Alright," Chloe said as she walked up to Clark and Lois as they worked at Lois' desk the following morning. "Took me all night, but I got everything on him." She handed over a large manila file folder, stuffed as much as possible with sheets of paper.  
  
"Whoa," Clark replied, whistling softly. "So, that's the life story on Winslow Scott, huh?"  
  
"Right down to his favorite chewing gum," Chloe said, smiling.  
  
"Thanks, Chlo," Lois replied.  
  
"Hey, no sweat," Chloe said. "Though, I can't take all the credit. Jimmy did a good portion of it last night. He faxed me everything after one this morning."  
  
"We'll be sure to thank him when he gets in," Lois replied as she grabbed the folder and started pulling out papers, skimming the important parts. "Winslow Scott . . . born in 1973 . . . grew up in Metropolis . . . lived with his parents, until his father - a toymaker - was arrested in 1983 for running drugs in his toyshop." She raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."  
  
"It gets better," Chloe said. "Scott grew up and went to college, where he got degrees in both Chemistry and Engineering."  
  
"So you think Scott is using toys to kill politicians?" Clark asked.  
  
"Well, he does have background knowledge in Chemistry and Engineering, and he grew up around toys," Chloe answered. "While they're not exactly smoking guns, it does put him high on the suspect list."  
  
"So, let's go see what he knows," Lois replied as she got to her feet, grabbing her purse.  
  
"Actually, I'm going to stay behind and work on the politician angle," Chloe said. "We might have a suspect, but we still don't have a motive. I'll work on that." She smiled and headed back to her desk. Lois and Clark smiled as they headed towards the elevators.  
  
- - - -  
  
Linda walked into the Torch, looking glum. She saw Wally at his desk, working on a story, while Cutter was at the light board, organizing the next edition of the paper. The young girl made a big show of leaning on the wall just inside the door and sighing loudly. Wally and Cutter looked up.  
  
"What's eating you?" Cutter asked.  
  
"Oh, just Jimmy," Linda said.  
  
"Jimmy Olsen?" Wally asked. Linda nodded. "Oh."  
  
Linda raised an eyebrow, seeing the looks on their faces. "What?"  
  
"We kinda heard about the, uh, 'bedroom incident,'" Cutter replied slowly.  
  
Linda nodded, pursing her lips. "Who told you?" she asked.  
  
"Dick," Wally said. "He also said nothing happened."  
  
Linda shrugged. She wasn't upset Dick had mentioned it to their friends; she kinda expected it. "Yeah, we just talked."  
  
"Yeah, Dick said that," Cutter replied. "Said you're still at a standstill on a few things, but that you worked through most of your problems and you're on speaking terms again."  
  
"Yeah," Linda said, a little less than enthusiastic.  
  
"What's wrong?" Cutter asked.  
  
"Jimmy's just frustrated," Linda replied. "He's at a dead end with his research on those murders in Metropolis, and I feel bad that I can't help him."  
  
"Well, you know we'd help if we could," Cutter said. "We did our best already."  
  
"I know," Linda replied. "And I'm not blaming you. I know you two did the best you could with what you have. It's not your fault it fell short." Wally and Cutter slowly raised their eyebrows.  
  
"Excuse me?" Wally asked. "What does that mean?"  
  
"It means absolutely nothing," Linda said. The bell rang. "Well, I need to get to class. See you guys at lunch." She headed out of the office, smirking to herself. Wally and Cutter watched her silently.  
  
"You know, I think she's trying to get under our skin," Cutter replied.  
  
"Of course," Wally said.  
  
"We did do our best," Cutter added.  
  
"Yeah," Wally replied.  
  
The two nodded as they stood in silence, then they suddenly jumped to their computers, forgetting all their other work, silently vowing not to let a teenage girl get the better of them - friend or no friend.  
  
- - - -  
  
Lois and Clark got out of the cab, and Clark paid the driver while Lois stared at the building. There was nothing special about the outside - save for the white sign over the front door that read 'Winslow's Wonderland' in whimsical red letters. Clark joined her, and the two headed over to the building. Clark opened the door, and they both head the tinkling of a small chime as they walked in. They stopped and stared in wonder.  
  
The interior walls were painted in bright shades of red and yellow, and the floor was designed to look like a black and white checkerboard. Off to one side was a polished wood counter with an old-fashioned cashier's machine on top. All around the room - on shelves, tables, and the floor - were all kinds of toys. Lois walked over to a shelf and pulled a teddy bear off, examining it. Its fur was a rich dark brown, its eyes black and shiny. The bear had been completely hand stitched, and Lois could see a small patch on the bottom, "W.S." hand-stitched on it.  
  
"I've been thinking about getting one of those," Clark said as he walked over. Lois gave him a look. "For Linda, Lois."  
  
"Sure," Lois replied, grinning. She put the bear back on the shelf. "So, Linda doesn't have a teddy bear?"  
  
"Well, she's got that E.T. doll Pete gave her," Clark replied. He shrugged. "But nothing really like a teddy bear."  
  
Lois sighed. "You know, I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like growing up the way she did. No toys, no games or birthday parties . . . or even Christmas."  
  
"Yeah," Clark replied, a slight hint of anger in his voice. He was still mad at Zor-El and Allura for robbing Linda of something she'd never be able to get back.  
  
"So, I guess that means you guys are going to go all out, huh?" Lois asked.  
  
"We're going to try," Clark answered, thinking of all the things he and his parents were going to do to make Linda's first Christmas memorable. In fact, the only thing that wasn't planned was Linda's gift. None of them had a clue what to get her, and Clark was starting to worry. Christmas was only a couple weeks away, and time was running out. He sighed. "What about you?"  
  
"Well, Chloe and I are going to take Lucy on a small vacation," Lois replied. "Her doctor thinks if she can just get away from the city, it might help her psyche."  
  
"Really?" Clark asked. That was the first he had heard about it. "Where are you guys going?"  
  
"New York," Lois replied. "Lucy's always wanted to go. Maybe spending time in her favorite city will get her back on speaking terms with us." She shrugged. "All we can do is just hope, I guess."  
  
"Can I help you?"  
  
Lois and Clark turned around and saw the man they recognized at Winslow Scott coming out a backroom, closing the door behind him. He was rather short, balding, with evidence of dark brown hair on the back of his head, and he had blue eyes that watched the reporters as he walked over. He wore a white lab coat over black pants, a black button down shirt, and black loafers. Even though he smiled warmly at the reporters. The two weren't sure if it was his appearance or the fact that was a suspect, but they found something very . . . Off-kilter about him.  
  
"Uh, hi," Clark said as Scott walked over. "I'm Clark Kent and this is my partner, Lois Lane. We're from the -"  
  
"Daily Planet," Scott interrupted. "Yes, I've read your articles. You two are wonderful writers."  
  
"Thank you," Clark replied.  
  
"So, to what do I owe this visit?" Scott asked.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you're aware of the recent string of murders that have been plaguing the City Council," Lois said.  
  
"Yes, of course," Scott replied.  
  
"Then you know about each crime scene," Lois said, "and how at each one a toy had been found - one that had been modified into a deadly weapon."  
  
Winslow nodded, then he stopped and tilted his head. "Are you implying that I had anything to do with these murders, Miss Lane?"  
  
"If the shoe fits," Lois replied.  
  
"Actually," Clark spoke up, "we're just looking into possibilities, and your name came up as a unique toy maker."  
  
Scott smiled. "Well, I can assure you both that I'm not a murderer." He walked over to a shelf and pulled off an antique-looking windup duck. He wound it up and set it on the wooden counter. The duck waddled forward, quacking. "My purpose in life is to make children happy."  
  
"What about your father's trial?" Lois asked suddenly, recalling information from the file Chloe and Jimmy had gathered. Scott looked up, confused. "All four murder victims served on the jury that convicted your father of using his toy store as a front for drug running thirty years ago. "  
  
Scott nodded. "Well, yes, it would seem as if I have motive, but that would only be if I wanted revenge."  
  
"You weren't upset about what happened to your father?" Clark asked.  
  
"Of course I was, Mr. Kent," Scott answered. "I was upset at my father. He threw his life away because he wasn't satisfied with where he was in life. But that is not true with me."  
  
"Do you know who would be interested in murdering these politicians?" Lois asked. "Or why they would use toys as their weapons?"  
  
"Sorry," Scott said. "I couldn't begin to tell you who would want those men dead." He smiled. "I'm sorry, but I can't answer any more questions. I have orders that I need to fill. This is my busiest season, after all. If you'll excuse me."  
  
"Of course," Clark replied. Scott headed for the backroom, and Clark and Lois turned and headed out the front door . They walked over to the curb to hail a taxi. "So, what do you think?"  
  
"Not sure," Lois said. "I say we keep a closer eye on him." She flagged a taxi, and the two reporters got in. "Daily Planet." The taxi drove off, blending into traffic, heading towards its destination.  
  
Scott opened the backroom door and walked in. He stopped short when he saw Lex Luthor - dressed in a black suit - leaning against his workbench, arms folded. Anger was written all over his face. Scott sighed, frustrated, and closed the door.  
  
"How did you get in here?" he asked crossly.  
  
"The question you should be asking yourself," Lex replied, "is why I'm here." He unfolded his arms and stood taller, walking over to the toy maker. "Why were Kent and Lane talking with you?"  
  
"They were questioning me about the murders," Scott answered. "I told them I didn't know anything."  
  
"I don't care if you told them you had a German Shepherd when you were a kid," Lex replied. "The point is I didn't pay you to have reporters on your doorstep. You said you would be able to do the job without any problems."  
  
"They're just two reporters," Scott said.  
  
"They're two reporters who are friends with Superman," Lex replied. "And where they are, he will eventually show up." He got in Scott's face. "I don't want to have any more problems, Scott."  
  
Scott couldn't help but shrink a little as Luthor stared him down. "It won't happen again, Mr. Luthor," he said quietly. "I give you my word."  
  
"Well, don't hate me if I don't believe you," Lex replied. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small lead box.  
  
"What's that?" Scott asked.  
  
Lex opened the box, revealing a chunk of green kryptonite the size of a golf ball. "Insurance." He closed the box and handed it to Scott. "If Superman gets too close, I want him dealt with."  
  
Scott took the box. "What is it?" he asked again.  
  
"It's called Kryptonite," Lex replied. "I've used it before on Superman. He doesn't seem to do well around it."  
  
Scott raised an eyebrow, then he caught a glimmer out of the corner of his eye. . He glanced down at Lex's right hand and saw a small green stone set on a gold mount on Lex's right ring finger. "I see you have your own insurance," he remarked.  
  
"I had it fashioned a few weeks ago," Lex replied smugly as he held up his hand. "I never leave home without it." He lowered his hand, looking back at the toy maker, his smile fading. "I mean it, Winslow. I don't want any more problems." Scott watched as Lex headed toward the back door of the room that led into the alley. The businessman opened the door and left, leaving Scott alone. The toy maker glanced down at the box, opened it, and just stared at the glowing green rock.  
  
(End of Chapter 17) 


	18. Chapter 18

- - - -  
  
Linda sat at her usual lunch table with Mattie and Andy. All three of them were eating the day's special - spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, a small salad, milk, and fruit for dessert - and talking about things that had happened that day. Linda considered cafeteria food to be nothing more than cardboard substitute, but she still ate it. The last thing she wanted was to have her stomach growling in the middle of one of her classes. Still, part of her wished that her mother worked at the cafeteria so all the kids could have real food for lunch.  
  
"So, what are you going to do on your break, Linda?" Mattie asked. They only had the rest of that day to get through before they were officially on winter break. It was something they were all looking forward to enjoying, especially after everything that had happened in the school year so far.  
  
"Well, I think I'm going to be staying home," Linda replied. "Mom and Dad said something about going all out this year for me, since I've never had a Christmas before."  
  
"Sounds like fun," Andy grinned.  
  
"Not really," Linda replied. "I don't want them going out. It's too cold." Mattie and Andy simply smiled and went back to their lunches. Dick and Buzz came over with their trays and sat next to the girls.  
  
"Hello, ladies," Dick replied. "How's everything?"  
  
"Not bad," Mattie answered. She smirked at the guys. "So, you guys going to wait until the last minute to get gifts again?"  
  
"For what?" Linda asked.  
  
"For Christmas," Buzz replied. "And, no, we're not going to wait until the last minute, Mattie. I already got my family taken care of. Just gotta do my friends, and I'm set."  
  
"We have to get gifts?" Linda asked. "I thought that was just for birthdays."  
  
"No, you give presents at Christmas too," Dick replied. He and the others had gotten used to Linda's naiveté, so it didn't weird them out anymore. "It's a tradition; people give gifts to their friends and family. And if you're good, you get presents in return."  
  
Linda's face fell. "But I haven't been good. I've gotten into so much trouble."  
  
"Linda, I seriously doubt your family's going to hold out on the gift giving just because you were involved in a few . . . incidents," Mattie replied.  
  
"What about when I stole Dad's truck?" Linda asked.  
  
"Trust us, hon," Andy said, "Old St. Nick won't be passing you up."  
  
"Who?" Linda asked, furrowing her eyebrows.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Linda," Dick said quickly. He didn't really want to go into the whole Santa Claus thing with his friend at the moment. He looked up as Cutter and Wally approached. Wally carried a manila folder in his hands. "Hey, guys." Wally replied by slapping the folder down in front of Linda.  
  
"You better appreciate what we do for you," he said as he and Dick grabbed chairs and sat with their friends.  
  
"Took us all morning," Cutter replied, "and a few creative liberties, but we got a few things for you."  
  
"Ooh, let me see," Linda replied, grinning as she grabbed the file and opened it. She skimmed the pages, furrowing her eyebrows. "Where did you get this stuff?"  
  
"Metropolis P.D.," Cutter said.  
  
"More specifically, their database," Wally added. Everyone stared at him and Cutter, wide-eyed. "What?"  
  
"You hacked into Metro P.D.'s computers?" Andy hissed.  
  
"It's Linda's fault," Wally retorted.  
  
"What did I do?" Linda asked.  
  
"You insulted our intelligence," Cutter replied.  
  
"I challenged you," Linda retorted.  
  
"Aha, I knew it!" Wally said.  
  
Linda rolled her eyes. "But I didn't mean for you to hack into police records."  
  
"Actually, these records are from Inspector Henderson's files," Cutter replied. "He's the lead investigator."  
  
"We also did some searching around into his other stuff," Wally said excitedly. "He has this one private file marked S.C.U. - Cutter and I are going to try to access it later on."  
  
"Okay, I don't know you," Mattie said as she got to her feet.  
  
"Ditto," Andy replied, following Mattie's lead. Dick and Buzz nodded in agreement and got to their feet, leaving with the girls.  
  
"Okay, so what am I looking at?" Linda asked, going back to the file.  
  
"Profiles of the victims," Cutter replied. "We highlighted the interesting things." Linda looked at the highlighted areas. She already knew about the connection they all shared with being members of a jury that convicted Winslow Scott's father years ago (thanks to Jimmy), but there was something highlighted that confused her.  
  
"What's so special about their jobs?" Linda asked.  
  
"They're council members," Cutter replied. "Each with a different district in Metropolis."  
  
"So?" Linda asked.  
  
"There are six districts in Metropolis, Linda," Cutter replied. "Four out of six council members are dead." Linda gave him a blank look. "Linda, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but sometimes things can get corrupted."  
  
Linda gave him a withering look. "Okay, I may be new to a few things, but I'm not new to corruption."  
  
Cutter rolled his eyes. "That answers a lot," he muttered. Linda stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"Anyway," Wally spoke up, "Cutter and I have a theory. Majority rules the Council, just like in any democratic society. Unfortunately, things can - and do - get corrupted, and it goes from being a democracy to a dictatorship."  
  
"You don't think the murders are connected to Winslow Scott?" Linda asked.  
  
"Not sure yet," Cutter replied. "Could be legit, could be a red herring."  
  
"Red herring?" Linda asked.  
  
"Distraction," Wally explained. "Scott could be a fall guy for a bigger picture."  
  
"So, the question should be 'who would benefit most from these council men being dead?'" Linda said.  
  
"Exactly," Cutter replied. "Which could be anyone who has the best incentive. Usually, it's money."  
  
"Any suspects?" Linda asked.  
  
"Well, try this on for size," Wally answered. "Who has the capabilities to provide incentive? Hint, he already owns roughly ninety percent of Metropolis holdings in one form or another, and he's the third richest man in the world."  
  
Linda slowly looked up, her mouth slightly open. "You think Lex Luthor might be involved?" she asked quietly.  
  
Cutter shrugged. "He's a shady character, and I wouldn't put it past him to do anything to get his way."  
  
You don't know how right you are, bub, she thought to herself. She sighed, closing the file folder, her head already formulating her next plan of action. "Do you guys mind if I keep this? I'd like to pass this on to Jimmy."  
  
"Sure," Cutter replied.  
  
"Thanks guys," Linda said as she got to her feet. "For everything." She hurried away, and both Cutter and Wally watched her, wondering what she was up to.  
  
(End of Chapter 18) 


	19. Chapter 19

- - - -  
  
Jimmy heard his cell phone pinging as he walked down the street, heading for the Daily Planet. He pulled it out and looked at the display screen. There was a message flashing, indicating that he had a new text email message. He punched a few buttons and opened the message. He smiled when he saw the sender's name, Stardust 15. He furrowed his eyebrows as he read the simple message: 'Be online tonight at 8.'  
  
"Okay," he replied slowly, wondering what Linda's cryptic message was all about. He sighed as he closed the message and put his phone away, heading off to his job.  
  
- - - -  
  
"So, you're not going to tell us what you have up your sleeve?" Wally asked as he headed out of Smallville High with Linda and Cutter. Buzz, Dick, Mattie, and Andy were going to get Buzz's van for their daily pilgrimage to the Talon.  
  
"I'm not telling," Linda replied.  
  
"You're evil," Cutter said. "After all we did for you -"  
  
"Oh, don't even go there," Linda warned, holding up a finger. "I did not tell you to hack into Henderson's file." She paused. "So, uh, what was in the S.C.U. file?"  
  
"No dice," Wally said. "You don't tell us, we don't tell you."  
  
Linda sighed, frustrated. "I'm just going to talk to Jimmy about what you guys told me, that's all." She crossed her heart and held up her fingers. "Now, come on. What's this S.C.U. about?"  
  
"It's a plan the Metro P.D. has," Cutter said as they waited by the curb for their ride to show up. "They want to start up something to combat all the methuman problems in the city, you know, in case Superman can't stop them."  
  
"You don't think Superman is capable of stopping the bad guys?" Linda asked, narrowing her eyes at her friend.  
  
"Hey, I didn't say that," Cutter held up his hands. "I'm just telling you what the file said."  
  
"Does Superman know about this?" Linda asked.  
  
"Doesn't look like it," Wally replied. "Henderson is apparently trying to figure out how to break the news, so to speak."  
  
"Joy," Linda muttered. She sighed, rubbing her head. "You know, I -"  
  
"Hello, Linda."  
  
Linda stood up straight, recognizing the voice. She looked to her right and saw Joseph standing nearby. She furrowed her eyebrows as he approached the three. "What do you want?" she asked warily.  
  
"I was wondering if we could go some place and talk," Joseph answered. "There are things that we need to discuss."  
  
Cutter raised an eyebrow at the stranger. "And you are . . .?"  
  
"My name is Joseph Willowbrook," the elder replied.  
  
"Hey, I know you," Wally said. "You're that professor dude from Grandville. The one who researched those Kawatche caves."  
  
Joseph simply nodded, then he turned to Linda. "Are you ready?"  
  
Linda hesitated. She knew Joseph wasn't a bad person, but she didn't like him talking about what her life was going to be like. Still, she could sense there was something different in Joseph's tone and manner . . . and she found herself wanting to know what he had to say. She slowly nodded. "Yeah," she replied. She turned to her friends. "I'll see you guys later."  
  
Cutter furrowed his eyebrows. "You sure, Linda?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure," Linda replied. "I'll talk to you guys later." She walked with Joseph as he headed away from the school. Cutter and Wally watched with curiosity until Buzz's van pulled up, and the sliding door opened. Mattie and Andy grinned from their seats.  
  
"Come on, guys," Mattie said.  
  
"Where's Linda?" Andy asked.  
  
"She had something she needed to take care of," Cutter answered as he and Wally got it. He wasn't sure what to tell the gang, because he wasn't sure what was going on himself.  
  
"Everything okay?" Dick asked from the from the front passenger seat.  
  
"Yeah," Wally replied as Cutter closed the door. "She's fine." Buzz pulled away from the curb and the gang headed off toward the Talon.  
  
- - - -  
  
"So, what do you want?" Linda asked as she and Joseph walked into the caves. The two hadn't spoken since leaving the school. "And you only get one chance to say what you want, so make it good."  
  
Jospeh simply nodded as he headed toward the back of the caves, stopping outside the new hole leading to the space with Linda's drawings. "I see you've discovered the drawings, Nevaeh."  
  
"They called to me," Linda replied. "Sort of."  
  
"What did you learn by seeing them?" Joseph asked.  
  
"What you told me," Linda answered. "That I'm going to be like Clark - cape, boots, and all."  
  
"I never said that, Nevaeh," Joseph said.  
  
"But I heard you -"  
  
"You heard what you wanted to hear," Joseph gently interrupted. "It doesn't mean it's true." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Nevaeh, when I said you would be like Naman, I didn't mean you would be wearing the same colors as he does. He chose to do that of his own free will."  
  
"But the paintings said he would be a hero," Linda replied.  
  
"A hero isn't defined by what he or she looks like," Joseph said. "It is what's in the heart that makes a person a Naman . . . or a Zigeeth." He walked into the space and over to the drawing of Clark and Linda together. "It is your heart that is like Naman's, Nevaeh, and that's what is being portrayed in these drawings."  
  
"What about me being the keeper of truth, law and universal order?" Linda asked.  
  
"I cannot give you the answers," Joseph said. "That is something that you will have to discover on your own." He nodded politely and headed out of the space, leaving the young girl to contemplate her new knowledge.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Please?" Linda asked later that night as she sat at the kitchen table with her parents, eating dinner.  
  
"Why this sudden change?" Jonathan asked. "I thought you wanted to stick close to home."  
  
"I know," Linda replied, "but I haven't really seen Metropolis since I first came to Earth, and everyone says it looks so pretty with all the lights and stuff, and I promise I won't throw anyone through a window."  
  
Martha smiled. "We know, sweetie, but we'd have to clear it with Clark first. He's a little busy right now with the story he and Lois are working on."  
  
"Not that busy." Everyone looked over as Clark walked into the door, grinning. "Hi, guys."  
  
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," Jonathan smiled as he got to his feet and crossed the room to hug his son. "I thought you'd be hard at work."  
  
"Thought so too," Clark replied, "but Lois and Chloe had a Lucy emergency, and they're dealing with that, and they threatened to maim me if I went investigating on my own."  
  
"And Jimmy?" Linda asked.  
  
"Jimmy is still not speaking to me unless he absolutely has to," Clark answered. He raised an eyebrow. "And I take it you're the same way?"  
  
"Not anymore," Linda replied, smiling. "But I'm still not going to tell you what's bothering Jimmy, because that's not my place, so don't even try to probe. If you do, I'll have you thinking you're a dog for three hours." There was a bark from under the table. "No offense, Krypto."  
  
Jonathan wanted to scold Linda, but he couldn't even open his mouth for the fear of laughing at the thought of seeing his son running around, tongue hanging out, barking. He simply smiled as Clark walked over and kissed his mother on the forehead before taking his spot at the table.  
  
"What about me?" Linda asked.  
  
Clark simply smiled, and took Linda's hand - then he pulled her from her chair and into his lap, reveling in the fact she was giggling. "I have something special for my favorite baby cousin," he simply said as he situated her comfortably on his legs.  
  
"Dude, I better be your only baby cousin," Linda replied.  
  
Clark grinned and ruffled her hair, glad he and Linda were back on speaking terms. "Well, I couldn't help but overhear you talking about wanting to spend a few days in Metropolis for your break."  
  
"Oh, I cannot wait until I have superhearing," Linda mused.  
  
"Yeah, maybe you'll actually listen for a change," Clark replied. Linda stuck her tongue out Clark. Clark grinned. "Seriously, though, that's not a problem, guys."  
  
"You sure, son?" Jonathan asked. "I don't think Linda would like being cooped up in an apartment while you're working."  
  
"So, I'll take her to work with me," Clark replied. "Linda's never been to the Planet, and I'm sure she'll love it. Besides, how much trouble could she get into in public?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow at his son. "Okay, don't answer that."  
  
"Gee, thanks," Linda replied wryly. "I love you too." She gave a big bright-eyed look to her father. "Please?"  
  
Clark could see the looks his parents shared, and he knew they were going to let Linda spend a few days in Metropolis, but they were going to put on a little show for their own parental sadistic humor. Even Clark was amused by seeing Linda's eyes get all big and bright-eyed.  
  
Jonathan made a big show of sighing loudly. "Well, since you asked nicely," he said, "I guess it wouldn't be a problem." Linda grinned and scrambled from Clark's lap to give her father a hug.  
  
"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered.  
  
"You're welcome, sweetie," Jonathan replied, hugging her back. He let her go, and Linda went over to hug her mother.  
  
"Thanks, Momma," Linda said softly. Martha hugged her daughter and kissed her cheek. Linda walked back over and climbed back into Clark's lap, settling in. She pulled her plate and silverware over and started eating again. "So, when can I leave?"  
  
Jonathan chuckled. "Why don't you finish your dinner first, and we'll discuss your options, okay?"  
  
"'Kay," Linda replied, gobbling down her dinner as her family watched, amused.  
  
- - - -  
  
Linda hurried upstairs and closed the door to her bedroom. She crossed the room to her computer and switched it on. She waited for it to load and connect, then she logged on to her instant messenger program. Immediately, a separate window popped up, and Jimmy's face showed up on her screen.  
  
"Hi," she said.  
  
"I've been waiting for a while," Jimmy said seriously. "Everything okay?"  
  
"Yeah, sorry about that," Linda replied. "Clark showed up. He's still downstairs, actually."  
  
"Oh," Jimmy said, his features falling a bit.  
  
"But he's going to be going back later tonight," Linda added. She slowly smiled. "And I'm going with him."  
  
"What?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"I'm going to be spending a few days in Metropolis," Linda said. "Which means we can spend time together . . . ."  
  
"Actually, I'm still grounded," Jimmy replied slowly.  
  
"But you're still allowed to work, right?" Linda asked.  
  
"Yeah, of course," Jimmy answered.  
  
Linda grinned and opened her middle desk drawer, pulling out the folder containing the information from Cutter and Wally. "I have a few things you might be interested in seeing, Mr. Olsen," she said. Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "I'll let you see it when we're together tomorrow; Clark's taking me to work." She paused, her smile growing. "And if you are really good, I might even have a surprise for you too. Bye, Jimmy." She waved before signing off. She got up and walked over to her nightstand, grabbing the phone and dialing a number. She waited impatiently as it rang.  
  
"Talk to me," Cutter's voice said as he answered.  
  
"Hey, do me a favor," Linda replied. "I can't stay on long, but could you send me the stuff on the S.C.U."  
  
"Why?" Cutter asked.  
  
"Oh, come on, please," Linda answered, whining a little. "I'm leaving for Metropolis tonight, and I want to show Jimmy those files. No one at the Planet knows anything."  
  
"How can you be sure?" Cutter asked.  
  
"Because Clark would have told me," Linda replied. "Now, will you send it please?"  
  
Cutter sighed. "Fine, give me a few minutes."  
  
Linda smiled. "Thanks, Cutter."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Cutter replied. He chuckled. "So, Metropolis, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, just for a few days," Linda answered. "I haven't seen Metropolis at Christmas time." She shrugged. "Haven't seen anything at Christmas time."  
  
"Well, I have a feeling you'll enjoy it," Cutter said. He paused. "Okay, info's on its way. Have a good time, Linda."  
  
"Thanks," Linda replied before hanging up. She walked back to her computer and opened her email account. After checking for new messages, she found Cutter's, smiled, and clicked it open. She hit the printer button, and the pages started printing as she started packing for her trip.  
  
(End of Chapter 19) 


	20. Chapter 20

- - - -  
  
Clark walked into his bedroom the next morning, straightening his tie, and he stopped just inside the door. He saw Linda sprawled out on her side under the covers of his bed, hugging a pillow close to her body. She snored slightly, her mouth opened, and Clark slowly smiled as he walked over and sat down beside her. He gently pushed her chin up, closing her mouth. Linda smiled in her sleep and sighed, smacking her lips a few times. Then she started snoring again - with her mouth closed.  
  
Clark smiled and leaned over, pressing her nose with his index finger. He let go, but the noise didn't stop. Clark pressed her nose again; nothing. Linda's nose twitched like an oversized rabbit's and she smacked a little. Poke . . . twitch . . . poke . . . twitch . . . poke poke . . . twi - Clark jumped slightly as his cousin's hand moved fast, snatching his hand as her eyes opened. They fixed on his, and he could see that she was trying to get her bearings. She smiled sleepily in recognition. "Heeeeeeeeeeeeey," she said softly.  
  
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Clark replied. "Rise and shine."  
  
"Let me sleep in," Linda moaned as she turned her back to Clark, throwing the covers over her head. "It's my winter break."  
  
"True," Clark replied, "but don't you think sleeping in until ten is good enough?"  
  
"Get real, Clark," Linda said.  
  
"I'm serious," Clark replied. "I called Perry this morning, told him we got in late, and said we'd be at work . . ." he glanced at his digital clock "in about fifteen minutes." He raised an eyebrow. "So, you either get up now or you stay here for the entire day."  
  
Fine," Linda said as she slowly sat up. "Just let me take a shower." She supersped out of bed, into the bathroom. Clark heard the water running, and a few seconds later Linda blurred back out. She was dressed for the day in jeans, a long-sleeved purple turtleneck, and black flats. Her hair was pulled back with a black headband, and she grabbed her glasses from the nightstand, putting them on. "I'm ready."  
  
Clark simply smiled as he got to his feet. He walked over to his dresser, grabbing her winter parka and gloved, tossing them to her. "Don't forget these." Linda put her coat and gloves on while Clark retrieved his jacket, trench coat, and gloves, shrugging into them. "Ready?" Linda nodded and headed into the living room, grabbing her backpack from Clark's chair before making her way to the door. "Not that way, Short Stack." Linda stopped and turned around, confused. Clark walked over to the sliding balcony door and opened it. He held a hand out, smiling. "Ready?" Linda smiled and followed her cousin out onto the balcony.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Chloe smirked, walking over from the water cooler as Clark and Linda got off the elevator.  
  
"And good morning to you too, Chloe," Clark replied, smiling.  
  
Chloe grinned at Linda as she walked over and hugged the teen. "Hey, girl. Good to see you again."  
  
"Same here," Linda replied, smiling, as she hugged Chloe. "How are you?"  
  
"Not bad," Chloe answered, pulling away. "So, what have you been up to? Steal any trucks lately?" Linda stuck out her tongue, and Chloe laughed.  
  
"So, this is the Daily Planet, huh?" Linda asked, looking around the newsroom. She was both enthralled and a bit weirded out by the cacophony and hubbub.  
  
"Yeah," Chloe replied. "Oh, Clark, Perry's looking for you. Apparently, there's going to be a press conference at City Hall. The mayor is going to be making an announcement. It starts in twenty minutes, and Lois is already there, so you might want to haul kiester if you want to get there on time."  
  
"What about Linda?" Clark asked, eyeing his baby cousin.  
  
"I'll keep her out of trouble," Chloe replied smiling, throwing an arm around Linda's shoulders.  
  
"Okay," Clark said. He gave Linda a look. "Behave." He hurried to catch the elevator as Linda briefly stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Linda asked.  
  
"Why don't we get you settled at Clark's desk?" Chloe suggested. "You can take over his desk duties for the day, if you want." The two headed for Clark's desk. "Alrighty, Linda, take a seat." Linda put her backpack aside and sat down, leaning back, getting a feel for her cousin's chair.  
  
"Chloe!" Linda nearly jumped out of her skin as she shot to her feet. She turned around as Perry came storming out of his office. Linda hid behind Chloe as Perry marched over, looking positively frightening. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Uh, I'm helping Linda get settled in," Chloe replied slowly.  
  
"I thought I told you to get that information from research," Perry replied, glaring. "Now, get." Chloe nodded and quickly bolted, leaving Linda to face the editor herself. Perry stood tall, hands on hips, frowning at Linda. "And as for you, young lady . . . ."  
  
"Yes?" Linda asked softly, cowering slightly.  
  
Perry's expression softened. "Oh, sweetie, I'm just playing with you." He put a hand on Linda's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Linda."  
  
Linda tried to smile, but it was more forced. "It's . . . okay, Mr. White."  
  
Perry sighed, trying to figure out a way to cheer her up. "You know what?" he asked. "I'm going to need some help on a few things. Want to be my assistant for the day?"  
  
"What would I do?" Linda asked.  
  
"Well," Perry answered, "you would help with things I couldn't do by myself. Whaddya say? Want to be my special helper?"  
  
Linda pursed her lips, then she smiled and nodded. "Okay," she said.  
  
"Great," Perry replied, smiling. "Now, let me go get some stuff that needs to be worked on. Wait right here." Perry headed back to his office as Linda sat back down in Clark's chair. She tapped her feet as she waited.  
  
"Hey, you," a soft voice said.  
  
Linda smiled and turned around, seeing Jimmy standing nearby. He held a small stack of photos in his hands, and he smiled down at her.  
  
"Hi," Linda replied. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm good," Jimmy answered. He grabbed a chair and sat down beside her. "You?"  
  
"Not bad," Linda replied.  
  
"So, uh, what are you up to?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"Well, Clark went to City Hall," Linda replied, "and Chloe's doing research, and Mr. White's letting me be his assistant for the day."  
  
"And here's your first assignment," Perry said, walking up. He handed Linda a few pieces of paper. "I need those retyped Linda."  
  
"Sure thing," Linda replied.  
  
"Olsen, are those the photos I asked for?" Perry asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah," Jimmy replied.  
  
"Good," Perry said. "My office."  
  
"Uh, sir," Linda spoke up, "could Jimmy stay and help me? I'm not really familiar with this system." She looked up at Perry, her eyes big and bright.  
  
Perry sighed. "Sure," he said. He took the photos from Jimmy. "Behave, you two." He headed back to his office.  
  
"Oh, man, I'm good," Linda grinned as she turned back to face Jimmy.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"I have recently realized that I possess the greatest ability in the world," Linda answered.  
  
"What?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"I can make people do what I want just by looking a certain way," Linda replied.  
  
"Bull," Jimmy said, snorting.  
  
"Hey, it's worked on you a few times," Linda replied, grinning.  
  
"Liar," Jimmy said, blushing, turning his head to the side.  
  
"You're in denial," Linda replied. "And I'll prove it." She turned around and surveyed the room. She spotted her target - a woman sitting at her desk nearby, typing, a sprinkled doughnut on a napkin beside the keyboard. Linda got up and walked over. "Hi."  
  
The lady looked up and saw Linda looking down at her doughnut, her head tilted to the side, her eyes bright and innocent. "Can I help you, dear?" she asked.  
  
"Is that a sprinkled doughnut?" Linda asked softly.  
  
"Yes, it is," the lady replied.  
  
"Is it any good?"  
  
"They usually are," the lady answered.  
  
"Gee," Linda whispered. "I'd give anything to know what one tastes like. I've never had a sprinkled doughnut before."  
  
The lady paused and glanced up at Linda. She felt her heart ache when she saw Linda looking so cute and innocent. She handed the doughnut to Linda. "Here, sweetie," she said. "Take mine."  
  
Linda beamed. "Oh, thank you so much." She turned around and left, giggling softly. The lady smiled and went back to her work.  
  
Jimmy watched, wide-eyed, as Linda walked over, sat in her chair, and smirked at him. "I rest my case," she replied, taking a big bite of the doughnut.  
  
"You are downright evil," Jimmy said. Linda tore off a part of the doughnut and put it in Jimmy's mouth. The photographer sat, stunned, before he chewed, sighing softly.  
  
Linda smiled. "Admit it," she said. "You like me."  
  
"I didn't say I didn't," Jimmy replied. "I'm just saying you're evil."  
  
Linda grinned and glanced at the pages Perry gave her. "So, you going to help me or not?"  
  
"I don't know if I should," Jimmy replied wryly. "Do your parents know how evil you are?"  
  
"Apparently not," Linda replied. "How do you think I was able to come to Metropolis?"  
  
Jimmy squeaked, his eyes bulging. "Does Clark know?" he asked softly.  
  
Linda snorted. "Come on, Jimmy. It's Clark."  
  
Jimmy paused, then he nodded. "True." He sighed, shaking his head. "How did you go from innocent to evil?"  
  
Linda shrugged, grinning. "I don't know." She kissed his nose. "Come on, you want to help me or what?" Jimmy hesitated, and Linda sighed, leaning over and reaching into her backpack, pulling out the manila file folder. She waved it under Jimmy's face. "I've got something for you."  
  
"I don't like you," Jimmy replied, snatching the folder from her hand and opening it.  
  
"You're welcome," Linda said. She watched him read the papers. "So, what do you think?"  
  
"Well, I think you're evil," Jimmy replied, "but cute at the same time, so I'll stick around. As for your information . . . Lex?"  
  
"Yeah, Lex," Linda said. "Trust me on this."  
  
"I'm not doubting you," Jimmy replied. "I'm just curious about your assumptions."  
  
"Well, majority rules in a democracy," Linda explained. "Six districts in Metropolis, four out of six is a majority. Money is influential in decisions, Lex has money and interests."  
  
Jimmy smiled, impressed. "You ever thought about being a reporter?"  
  
Linda snorted. "I'd sooner drink Kryptonite, thank you."  
  
Jimmy held his hands up. "Point taken. Now, on your other stuff . . . scoot over." Linda gave him a weird look, but she scooted her chair over, letting Jimmy take control of Clark's computer. He started typing, and Linda watched, curious.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Checking on something," Jimmy answered.  
  
"Such as?" Linda asked.  
  
"Checking out Lex's financial holdings," Jimmy replied. "If he's truly doing what you think he's doing - and I agree that he's probably doing it - then he's going to have some odd financial statements." He smiled. "We just gotta find them."  
  
"Lex also happens to be a very paranoid and creepy person," Linda pointed out. "Don't you think he's going to have some sort of flame barrier or alarm system on his database?"  
  
"You mean firewall?" Jimmy asked. Linda nodded. "Prolly, but I know a few tricks." He typed a few keys and a LexCorp logo appeared on the screen, with a whole bunch of file folders. "Okay, we got five minutes before they track us down, so we gotta work fast." Linda watched, fascinated, as Jimmy's fingers flew across the keyboard. Jimmy opened files and started scrolling. After a few minutes, he grinned. "Bingo."  
  
"What?" Linda asked.  
  
"Write this down, Linda," Jimmy said. "Two, three, seven Baker Street."  
  
Linda wrote it down, then she glanced up at Jimmy closed the computer. "What are you doing?"  
  
"We got what we needed," Jimmy replied. Linda looked confused. "It's an address for an old warehouse down in Suicide Slum." Linda had a blank look on his face. "Everyone knows that Lex has his warehouses in the Troy district. So, why have one in one of the worse parts of the city?"  
  
"To hide illegal operations?" Linda asked.  
  
Jimmy grinned, wanting to kiss her right there. "Exactly."  
  
Linda slowly smiled. "You're good," she said.  
  
Jimmy blushed, ducking his head. When he looked up, Linda was already on her feet, grabbing her backpack and heading for the elevators. Jimmy quickly followed her. "Where are you going?"  
  
"To the warehouse," Linda replied. "You want to come with me or not?"  
  
Jimmy sighed, knowing he couldn't stop her, but he knew he wouldn't let her go there on her own, regardless of what she was capable of. "Hold on," he said. He hurried back to his desk, grabbing his jacket and camera bag, coming back. One of the elevators' doors opened, and the teens stepped inside. Jimmy pressed the button for the garage level, the doors closed, and the elevator started down.  
  
(End of Chapter 20) 


	21. Chapter 21

- - - -  
  
Linda came to a full stop behind a large pile of wooden boxes near the front of a decrepit-looking warehouse. She held Jimmy in her arms, and he looked absolutely stunned as Linda put him down. He started sinking to the ground, but Linda grabbed him under the arm and supported him.  
  
"You okay?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah," Jimmy replied slowly. "I'm good." He stood straighter after a few moments and smiled at her. "Really." He peeked around the side of the pile and looked at the warehouse.  
  
Linda peeked around with him. "So, what do we do now?" she asked.  
  
"Well, what can you see from here?" Jimmy asked. Linda glanced at him, eyebrow raised and he tapped a finger near his eye. "You know, buzz, buzz."  
  
Linda smirked. "Do you have a sound effect for every one of my powers?" Jimmy blushed, embarrassed. "You do."  
  
"We can talk about that later," Jimmy said gently. He nodded at the warehouse. "You gonna take a peek or not?"  
  
Linda removed her glasses and handed them to Jimmy. "Hold these." Jimmy took them and put them in his jacket pocket. He watched as Linda stared intently at the building. After a few seconds she growled softly.  
  
"What?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"It's lined with lead," Linda replied. "I know Clark says that Lex lined LexCorp towers with lead, but does he do that with other buildings?"  
  
"Only with buildings he doesn't want Superman looking into," Jimmy replied. He glanced around and saw three security cameras placed high, slowly sweeping back and forth. "And he also has cameras up."  
  
Linda smiled. "I can fix that." She stared at one of the cameras and focused. Her eyes glowed orange briefly before two thin heat beams shot from her eyes. They struck the camera, and sparks flew from it before partially melting into slag. Linda quickly took out the other two cameras in the same manner. She turned to Jimmy. "We're clear to go."  
  
Jimmy smiled. "Have I told you how much I like you?" he asked.  
  
"So, what sound effect do you have for my heat vision?" Linda asked, grinning.  
  
Jimmy chuckled. "I'll tell you later," he replied. "I promise." He took off his camera bag and wedged it between two crates. Linda removed her backpack and put it with Jimmy's bag. Taking her hand, Jimmy headed towards the warehouse. They walked to a nearby door, and Jimmy tried the doorknob. "Locked."  
  
"Not a problem for me," Linda replied.  
  
"Not one for me either," Jimmy retorted, reaching into his other jacket pocket. He pulled out a small case, smiling. "Not every door has to be torn off." He pulled a few tools from it and handed the case to Linda. She watched as he used the tools to pick the doorknob. When he finished and tried the doorknob again, it opened. He grinned as Linda. "I rest my case."  
  
Linda nodded, impressed. "So, let's review your talents," she said quietly as they carefully walked into the darkened warehouse. Linda kept her senses alert to anything. "You can hotwire a truck and pick locks."  
  
"Next time I'll show you how to build a nuclear bomb out of paper clips and chewing gum," Jimmy replied. Linda gave him a weird look. "MacGuyver joke." Linda looked at him, her expression blank. "Nevermind."  
  
The two teens walked into a clearing and stopped short, their eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. They looked around, and Jimmy whistled softly when he saw all the toys and machinery parts. "Wow."  
  
"What are all these things?" Linda asked as she walked over to a life-size cowboy holding a realistic pistol. Suddenly, she became dizzy and she felt momentarily sick. She shook her head and stepped away, rubbing her head.  
  
Jimmy noticed and furrowed his eyebrows. "You okay?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, just a little glitch," Linda replied. She smiled as she walked over to some small, odd-looking blue creatures with white pants and hats. "What are those? They remind me of Sumatarians."  
  
"They're called Smurfs," Jimmy replied. He sighed. "Well, what do you think?"  
  
"I think we need to call someone and let them know about this," Linda replied. "Anonymously, of course."  
  
"Yeah, because they'll have our hides if they find out we've been here," Jimmy added. The two turned, and were immediately grabbed around the neck by tight metal clamps. The two struggled as they were hoisted into the air, but they couldn't even get a little loose. They looked at what was holding them, and both of them were surprised to see they were being held by the hands of a large robot. Beside the robot was Winslow Scott. He glared at the teens.  
  
"I get to have your hides first," he said calmly. "And trust me, there will be nothing left by the time Hal is finished with you."  
  
"You named your robot after the psycho program from '2001?'" Jimmy wheezed. Scott didn't answer as he turned and walked away.  
  
The teens felt Hal's hands squeeze tighter around their necks, and Linda knew it would be a matter of seconds before Jimmy's neck was crushed. She focused her abilities on the hands, and after a moment Hal's hands flew open, dropping the two teens to the floor. They landed on their feet, and Jimmy stumbled a bit, falling on his bottom. Linda managed to land on her feet, and she crouched low, keeping her eyes on the giant robot.  
  
"Jimmy, take cover," Linda said. The young photographer knew there was a time and place for everything, and that was not the time or place to argue with Linda. He scrambled to his feet and hurried away, taking cover behind some crates.  
  
Linda narrowed her eyes as she watched Hal. The robot raised its hands and slammed them down, but Linda blurred out of the way before Hal's hands smashed to the floor, concrete cracking at impact. Linda stopped behind Hal and pulled back her right hand, fist clenched. Hal's head swiveled around, and Linda let her fist fly, slamming into Hal's face. The robot sailed through the air and smashed into the wall over fifty feet away. Hal broke apart and fell to the floor in pieces.  
  
Linda smiled, folding her arms, but she barely had time to savor her victory when she was struck hard from behind. She went flying through the air, slamming into a support column. The column dented on impact, and Linda fell to the floor, stunned. After a few seconds she slowly got to her feet, groaning, before she looked over at what hit her. Her eyes widened when she saw a six-foot Godzilla standing twenty feet from her, eyes glowing red.  
  
Godzilla opened its mouth, and flames shot out at the young girl. Linda instinctively turned and covered her head. She felt the flames hit her, but they didn't hurt. After a few seconds the flames stopped. Linda could see and feel her clothes were singed as she slowly looked up Godzilla. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Okay, now it's my turn," Linda said. She narrowed her eyes and heat beams shot from her eyes. They hit Godzilla's head. It glowed firery white for a few seconds before exploding. The body slowly rocked for a few moments before falling forward and hitting the floor with a crash.  
  
Linda smirked and turned around. She saw Jimmy watching from his cover, concerned and impressed at the same time. She started over, then she stopped when she heard clicks and whirs. Linda turned around and saw the Smurfs - all twenty of them - slowly advancing toward her. Linda raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You gotta be joking me," she said.  
  
Suddenly, all Smurfs jumped into the air, opening their mouths wide. Linda could see their steel razor teeth glisten in the dim light as they leapt onto her, knocking her down on her back.  
  
"No!" Jimmy shouted, seeing nothing but a blue and white pile.  
  
Suddenly, the Smurfs went flying in all directions, smashing into walls and other objects, breaking on impact. Linda got to her feet, her shirt and pants slashed, her hair mussed. She breathed heavily as she glared at Scott as he stood about twenty feet off to one side.  
  
"Now, I'm mad," she said as she advanced toward him.  
  
"I don't know who you are, little girl," Scott said, backing away, "but I still have one trick up my sleeve."  
  
Linda stopped and folded her arms. "Oh, really? And what would that be?"  
  
Jimmy grinned from his spot, starting in awe at seeing Linda 'in action' for the first time. Suddenly, he heard three distinct - and sickening - sounds, like thunder crashing beside him. He watched in horror as Linda flinched, like she had been struck in the back, and fell forward, landing facedown on the floor.  
  
"Linda!" Jimmy shouted. He turned to his side and saw the life-size cowboy statue, its arm outstretched, the pistol in its hand smoking. Jimmy felt this incredible anger build in his stomach, and he grabbed the nearest thing - a metal baseball bat - and attacked the cowboy. In one swing, he knocked off the cowboy's head, and another swing knocked off the cowboy's arm. He turned his head, glaring at Scott as the toy man started walking towards Linda. Jimmy clutched the bat tightly, his knuckles turning white.  
  
Linda felt pain resonating through her back, like someone shoved three fire pokers into her spine. She writhed on the floor, groaning softly, as her vision started blurring and she started feeling violently sick to her stomach. She saw Scott knelt beside her, looking down at her with both intrigue and satisfaction. He held up a small pistol, placing the barrel right against her forehead.  
  
"It's a shame I have to kill you," Scott said. "I bet I could learn a lot about who you are." He readied the gun, but before he could fire, he was suddenly struck from behind, and Linda could hear the sickening crack as metal connected with Scott's head. The toy man crumpled to the floor beside Linda, the gun knocked from his hand. Linda slowly looked up and saw Jimmy standing nearby, glaring down at the unconscious Scott, the bat being held tightly in his hand.  
  
Linda moaned softly, and Jimmy looked down at her. He dropped the bat and hurried over to Linda, kneeling beside her. He sucked in his breath when he saw the three bullet wounds, the blood oozing slowly, the green glow radiating softly.  
  
"It . . . hurts," Linda whimpered softly, tears filling her eyes.  
  
"It-it-it's okay, Linda," Jimmy whispered, his voice shaking. He didn't know what to; he was scared and panicking. Then suddenly, he heard a voice. Get her out of here, Jimmy. It was so soft that he wasn't sure if he actually heard it or felt it. He looked around, but he couldn't see anyone. He glanced back at Linda and realized that the voice - whether it was real or not - was right. He took a deep breath and braced himself, putting his arms under Linda's arms and knees. He knew to expect her to weigh more than she actually appeared - he knew about Kryptonians having dense molecular structures. He mustered all his strength - and tapped into the deepest part of himself - and slowly lifted her. He felt his muscles strain, but he was able to hold her and slowly get to his feet, breathing hard. It took all his energy, but he managed to carry her out of the warehouse. He was so focused on what he was doing that he didn't see the figure standing in the shadows, watching him leave with the precious cargo in his arms.  
  
After a few seconds, the figure left his spot and walked into the light, over to the toy man. He stared down at the unconscious man and smirked before taking a handkerchief and a small bottle from his jacket pocket. He poured some liquid from the bottle onto the handkerchief, then he knelt down and wiped the spots of blood from the floor. When he was finished he put the bottle and soiled handkerchief in his pocket, then the reached over and grabbed the discarded metal bat. He got to his feet and calmly walked back into the shadows as the sound of police sirens grew louder.  
  
(End of Chapter 21) 


	22. Chapter 22

- - - -

Lois watched from her spot in the mosh pit of reporters and photographers as Mayor Frank Berkowitz gave his speech from his podium at the top of the steps of City Hall. Lois knew she should have been paying attention – the mayor was in the process of introducing the four people who would be up for election to the recently-open council positions. Lois, however, found herself distracted by Lex Luthor as he stood behind and off to one side of the mayor, along with Inspector Henderson, the Chief of Police and a few other notable individuals. The reporter was curious about Lex's involvement in this, even though she knew he had his hands in practically anything that went on in the city – whether it was legal or not. Her radar up, she made a mental note to talk to him afterwards.

"Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice huffed and puffed behind her.

Lois turned around and saw Clark standing beside her, looking out of breath. She raised an eyebrow. "Need to hit the gym this week, Clark," she replied, smirking.

"Very funny," Clark replied. "I took Linda to the Planet, and Chloe told me what was going on. I got here as fast as I could." He had, in fact, been there longer than he let on, watching and listening to the announcement from a more aerial position, especially after seeing his one time friend standing with the Mayor and others. His radar had gone up, and he stayed air-born for a time, thinking about why Lex was there and if he should be on guard, but after a few minutes, he decided to join Lois with the other reporters and do his job. "So, what did I miss?"

"Not much," Lois replied. "The Mayor's just about to announce the four people running for those open council positions." She leaned over closer, dropping her voice. "And it looks like your friend Lex might have a say in it."

"You think Lex is involved?" Clark asked. He had been thinking the exact same thing since seeing Lex, but he wanted to hear what Lois has to say.

"Clark, you've known him longer than most people in Metropolis have," Lois replied. "In fact, weren't you the one who told me that he was shady a couple years ago. Not that I didn't already believe it, but you know what I mean."

"I just wanted to see what you think," Clark said.

"Uh huh," Lois replied, smiling. She sighed and took a deep breath. "Seriously, Clark, don't you think it's weird for Lex to be here if he didn't have some ulterior motive?"

Clark couldn't disagree with her on that. He opened is mouth to reply, then his hearing picked up sirens and police radio in the distance. He furrowed his eyebrows, listening to dispatch.

"All units respond to a possible 996 at 237 Baker Street," dispatch said. "Repeat, all units respond to a possible 996 at 237 Baker Street."

Clark tensed. A '996' meant 'explosion,' he knew Baker Street was located in Suicide Slum. He turned to Lois, but he was distracted by the commotion up near the podium. He saw the Mayor talking with Henderson and the Police Chief. Everyone watched in earnest, and Clark could see that even Lex was interested. After a few moments, the Mayor approached the podium.

"Events have come up that need my attention," Mayor replied. "I'm sorry, but this press conference is over." Reporters shouted questions as the Mayor went back into City Hall with the Police Chief, while Henderson hurried down the steps and made his way to his car. Lex looked over and saw Clark standing in the crowd. The two locked eyes and stared at each other for a brief moment before Lois slapped Clark on the back, snapping him from his stupor.

"Come on, Clark," Lois replied. "Let's follow Henderson and find out what's going on. We'll take my car."

"I need to check on Linda," Clark said, pushing through the crowd. "Go on without me."

Lois stood, dumbfounded, watching her partner leave, then she shook her head and remembered what she was planning on doing and pushed Clark from her mind as she hurried to her car.

- - - -

The door to the Olsens' apartment flew open, and Jimmy walked in, carrying an unconscious Linda in his arms, her backpack and his camera bag slung on his back. He was glad he remembered to grab them from their hiding spot outside the warehouse on his way to his apartment. Who knows what would have happened if anyone found anything to connect them to what happened. He kicked the door shut with his foot before hurrying as fast as he could to his room, breathing hard, his lungs burning, his arms straining to hold Linda. He walked in and headed over to his bed, carefully putting the young girl on the rumpled covers and gently turning her over on her stomach before shrugging the bags off this shoulders, not caring that they clattered to the floor. His stomach turned when he saw the bullet wounds. The blood wasn't oozing anymore, but it pooled around the wounds, turning slightly black, as the skin around the wounds was a sickly green. Under other circumstances, Jimmy would call for help, but he knew help wouldn't arrive in time to save Linda; it was up to him to save her, and he had to act - fast.

The young photographer got up from his bed and hurried to his bathroom, which doubled as his darkroom. He looked around, wondering what he needed. He grabbed what he thought he'd need: a bottle of alcohol, a small tray, a hand towel, and his pair of darkroom scissors. He ran back to Linda and put the equipment aside. Pushing all thoughts of modesty aside, he gently tore what was left of Linda's shirt down the back. He tried to unclip Linda's bra, but his hands were shaking; it wasn't from nervousness but fear. Still, he knew Linda's life was in his hands, and he had to suck it for her sake. He grabbed the scissors and used them to cut the gold lace fabric, then he carefully peeled the material back, giving himself a clear view of her back.

Jimmy quickly opened the bottle of alcohol and poured some onto the scissor blades, sterilizing them. He focused on the nearest bullet wound situated between her shoulder blades. Taking a few deep breaths, Jimmy opened the scissors a bit and stuck the tips of the blades into the wound. Linda whimpered softly and tried to move, but Jimmy put a hand on her left shoulder, gently keeping her still.

"Linda, you need to stay still," he said softly, trying not to break down at seeing and hearing her in so much pain. Linda whimpered again, but she didn't move. Jimmy refocused his attention on the wound, slowly working the scissors down, wishing he had x-ray vision. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt the tiny bullet. Working the blades around it, he managed to get a good hold, and he slowly pulled the glowing bullet from the wound. The bullet and the blades of the scissors were covered in blood. Jimmy stared at the bullet in disgust for a moment before he dropped it into the pan on his nightstand.

"Alright," he said softly, more to himself than Linda, trying to keep his resolve from crumbling. "One down, two to go." Taking more deep breaths, he went after the bullets in the other two wounds on Linda's back, one in the center of her back and the other near her right shoulder blade. He kept his cool as he extracted the other bullets, putting them in the pan. Then he took the pan and scissors and hurried back to the bathroom, tossing the scissors into the sink and pouring the bullets into the toilet, flushing them. He threw the pan into the sink as well before rushing back to Linda's side. He reached for the hand towel to mop up the blood on her back, but he stopped short when he saw the bullet wounds healing themselves, the skin turning back to a somewhat pale pinkish color. Jimmy was mesmerized, but he quickly remembered his job wasn't finished. He gently mopped up the blood on Linda's back, then he tossed the towel into the pile of dirty clothes in the far corner of his room.

"Linda?" he whispered softly, brushing hair back from her face. Linda opened her eyes slightly, then she closed them again. Jimmy thought for a moment, then he realized she was practically topless in his bed, and modesty started working back into his mind, mostly for her and not him. He got up and walked to his dresser, opening his sweatshirt drawer and pulling out his favorite - and only - sweatshirt. It was really big, with the word 'Chaparrals' in big gray letters, but he knew it was the softest thing he had. He walked back over and sat beside Linda. He gently turned her over on her back, taking care to keep his eyes on her face as he removed the tattered and bloodied fabric from her arms and carefully helped her into his sweatshirt.

After he checked to make sure it wasn't bunching or twisting on her, he carefully lay her on the bed, resting her head on one of his pillows, then he covered her up with sheets, tucking them around her, making sure there were no openings around to let in a draft. When he was finished fussing with her covers, he started cleaning up, but stopped when he heard a small sound. He turned around and saw Linda shifting, trying to sit up, her eyes slightly open.

"Hey, hey, don't get up," Jimmy said softly, walking over and sitting beside her. "You need to rest."

"I don't feel good," Linda whispered. She looked on the verge of tears as she curled on her side, her back to him.

Jimmy felt his stomach and heart knot, and after a few moments he took a deep breath and took off his shoes. Then he carefully got under the covers and slipped one arm under her neck; the other he slipped over her side and down across her belly from behind. He gently pulled her to him, her head resting on his bicep. He was relieved when he felt her relax, and he rested his chin softly on her shoulder, their cheeks touching.

"Go to sleep," Jimmy whispered. "I'm right here; I'm not going anywhere." He listened as her breathing slowed, and after a few minutes Jimmy knew she was sound asleep. He wondered if he should leave, but it didn't take him long to make his decision. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes.

- - - -

A group of officers stood next to a line of police tape roping off the warehouse, talking to themselves, trying to ignore the reporters that were asking them questions. Suddenly, everyone heard a familiar whooshing sound and looked up as Superman descended from the sky. He landed near the stunned officers.

"What happened?" Superman asked.

"Perhaps you could tell us," a female voice replied. Superman looked over and saw a familiar man and woman approaching him. The man was heavy-set, slightly over six feet tall, with brown eyes, and brown hair that receded slightly from his forehead. He wore a brown business suit, a trench coat, and he eyed the hero with an expression Superman recognized as annoyance.

The woman was average height, with blue eyes and blonde hair that was pulled back loosely with a rubber band. She wore black slacks, a white blouse, black shoes, and black coat. She looked at Superman curiously, but not with the same annoyance her partner had.

"Captain Sawyer," Superman nodded. "Inspector Turipin."

"Superman," Maggie Sawyer replied. "So, what happened?"

"Why do you think I had anything to do with this?" Superman asked.

Dan Turpin snorted. "Don't give us none of that innocent bullsh-"

Sawyer held up a hand, effectively silencing her partner. "Why don't you come with us?" she suggested. Superman followed the two officers into the warehouse. Superman stopped short when he saw the commotion inside. Broken bits of Smurfs and other metal pieces littered the area, a headless Godzilla robot lay sprawled over to one side, and paramedics were tending to an unconscious Winslow Scott, wrapping his head with bandages, but no sign of an incendiary explosion of any kind.

"So, mind filling us in?" Turpin asked, sneering. He saw Superman's surprised expression. "What?"

Superman was shocked. He knew the police thought he was responsible for it, and he was tempted to protest, but something told him to play it cool. "There's really nothing here to explain, Inspector," he replied calmly.

Sawyer raised an eyebrow. She knew Superman was being aloof; the hero was only aloof for one reason - he was hiding something. She sighed, walking up to the hero, arms folded, leaning in close. "Look, Superman, we found the Kryptonite in the cowboy's gun, and it looks like the gun was fired." Superman furrowed his eyebrows, confused, as he looked over at the cowboy figure. He knew some members of the police were aware of Kryptonite and what it did to him, but he didn't like the sound of what he had just heard, and the sinking feeling in his stomach grew.

"Only Turpin and I know about it," Sawyer replied. "We'll let Henderson know when he arrives, but we'd like to know what happened."

"I'm afraid I can't help you, Captain," Superman replied. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go tend to other matters." Before Sawyer could open her mouth Superman blurred out of the warehouse, and a second later they heard the familiar sonic boom. Sawyer sighed, putting her hands on her hips. She turned to Turpin, who looked positively furious, muttering expletives under his breath.

"Come on, Dan," she said. "Let's get back to work."

"What about Flyboy?" Turpin asked. "He's hiding something."

"I know," Sawyer answered, "but he's not talking." She glanced over and saw the paramedics loading Scott onto a gurney. The toy man was stirring, mumbling. Sawyer smirked at her partner. "But he might." She and Turpin headed over to Scott and the paramedics.

- - - -

Chloe was on her phone when Clark got off the elevator and hurried over. Chloe quickly said goodbye and hung up.

"Please tell me that Linda is here," Clark said quietly.

"She's not," Chloe replied. "And Jimmy's gone too." She saw Clark pale. "Clark, what's wrong?"

"There was an explosion at a warehouse in Suicide Slums," Clark explained. "Winslow Scott was in there. He was injured and the place was torn apart."

"You don't think Jimmy and Linda were there, do you?" Chloe asked, concerned.

"I don't know," Clark replied. "I haven't been able to feel Linda at all." He sighed. "I just have this feeling that something's wrong."

"Clark, I'm sure she's fine," Chloe said. "She's probably hanging out with Jimmy somewhere and putting up a mental block. I've been calling his phone, but it keeps going over to voicemail. Knowing them, they're just spending time together and don't want to be interrupted."

"You're not making me feel any better," Clark replied.

"Clark, you know what I mean," Chloe said.

"Chloe," Clark whispered, his voice serious, "there were Kryptonite bullets there, and the gun they were in had been fired. The place had been torn up. Someone had been there, and I think it might have been Linda. And if she was there, then Jimmy was probably there, and if that's the case, then he saw her use her powers. And even if that wasn't the case, then she's out there in the city, and I can't find her."

Chloe took a deep breath. "What do you want me to do?"

"Lois is going to the scene right now," Clark replied, "so I'm off the hook on that story. I'm going to go look around the city for Linda and Jimmy. I want you to call my parents and let them know what's going on."

"You sure you want to freak them out this early?" Chloe asked.

"I'd rather them know now and it be nothing than for them to find out later and it be something big," Clark replied. "Then I'd get yelled at too." Chloe couldn't argue with Clark's logic, and she reached for his phone as Clark hurried towards the staircase door.

(End of Chapter 22) 


	23. Chapter 23

- - - -

Jimmy stirred and groggily looked around. It took him a moment to get his bearings, then he realized where he was. He looked down beside him and saw Linda facing him, curled on her side, still sleeping soundly. Jimmy carefully extracted his arm from under her head, careful not to disturb her, and he propped himself on his side, watching her. He smiled a bit, brushing a strand of hair from her face. After a few moments he took a deep breath and got up, glancing at his nightstand clock. It was roughly fifteen minutes later, then he looked around. He winced when he saw the condition of his room. Suddenly, feeling very self-conscious, he went about straightening things and putting things that he didn't want Linda to see - like his dirty laundry - out of sight (i.e., shoving the clothes into his closet). He looked over at Linda occasionally, ready to jump to help her if she needed anything, but she remained asleep.

After he was finished he walked over to where he dropped his and Linda's bags earlier and he picked them up. He walked over to his desk, put both bags on the desk, and sat down in his chair. He opened Linda's bag and rummaged around inside. He pulled out the files Linda showed him earlier and intended to go through them, seeing if there was anything he could bring to Perry later on without it sounding like some crazed hunch, but then something caught his attention out of the corners of his eyes, and he looked over. He saw Linda's sketchpad in her backpack. He recognized it as the sketchpad Linda had shown him on a couple of occasions. Curious to see if she had drawn anything new since she last showed him the sketchpad, he set the files aside and opened the sketchpad, flipping through the pages.

Most of the sketches he recognized, so he flipped through the pages quickly until he came to a sketch he didn't recognize. It was of Streaky and Krypto wrestling. Jimmy chuckled, impressed at her eye for little details that other artists sometimes missed, before turning the page. The next sketch was of a bowl of apples. Jimmy turned the page again, and he did a double take. It was a self-sketch of Linda - completely naked. While the raging hormonal teenage side of him was liking what he saw, the other part of him felt he really had no business looking at that particular sketch. He almost shut the book, but then he really noticed the sketch for the first time - it was disfigured and sad-looking. Jimmy suddenly felt confused; he knew Linda didn't have very high self-esteem, but he never thought it was that bad. He glanced at the bottom right corner and saw the date: two days after their fight in November.

Jimmy sighed and closed the sketchbook, putting it back in Linda's bag. Then he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. He knew he was partially to blame for how Linda felt about herself - and he hated himself for hurting her like that. He felt tears in his eyes and knots in his stomach, then he heard a soft noise. He slowly looked up and saw Linda sitting up in bed, looking dazed and pale, her hair mussed. Putting his feelings aside, he hurried over and sat beside her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," Linda said softly.

"Do you need anything?" Jimmy asked.

"I'm a little thirsty," Linda replied.

"I'll get you something," Jimmy said, smiling a little. He got up and left the bedroom, heading into the kitchen. He got a cup from the cupboards and reached into the fridge, pulling out a can of ginger ale. He poured the soda into the cup and went back to the bedroom. He sat beside Linda and handed her the drink, and he watched her slowly drink. "Feel better?" Linda nodded and continued drinking. When she finished she handed the empty cup back to Jimmy - then she burped softly.

"'scuse me," she said.

Jimmy chuckled, putting the cup on his nightstand. "It's okay." His expression grew serious. "Linda, you sure you're okay?"

"I'm tired," Linda replied, swaying slightly.

"Well, that's what happens when you get shot," Jimmy replied. He helped Linda lay back down, tucked her in, then he kissed her forehead. "Get some rest."

"I'm sorry about this," Linda said.

"Don't be," Jimmy replied. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just sorry I couldn't keep you from getting shot."

"It wasn't your fault," Linda said. She sighed, then she looked worried. "What about your mother?"

"She's out of town," Jimmy answered. "We don't have to worry about her showing up."

"And Clark?"

Jimmy paused. "Him I'm still trying to figure out." He sighed. "But don't worry about that." He kissed her forehead again. "You just worry about getting better." He took a deep breath. "Oh, and I don't care what you think about yourself, you are very beautiful." Linda looked confused, but Jimmy simply smiled, blushing a little, as he left the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him.

- - - -  
It was a little before five as Clark hurried down the hall, straightening his tie. He had just spent the rest of the day scouring the city as both himself and Superman, looking for his cousin. He couldn't find any sign of her, and he was really starting to worry. He touched based with Chloe at the Planet, but there was still no word from Jimmy. Finally, he decided to go to Jimmy's apartment too see if Jimmy and Linda were, for some reason, there. He finally reached the right door and knocked on it. He waited impatiently, and Jimmy opened the door a few moments later.

Jimmy put on his best 'hey, I was wondering when you were going to show up' expression. In reality, he was thinking 'so, it took you almost seven hours to finally show up.' He wanted to tell that to Clark's face right then and there, but if he did he knew Clark would figure out that Linda was there, and Clark would take Linda away before she had a chance to get her strength back.

"Clark, did you find her?" Jimmy asked.

Clark paused, surprised by Jimmy's question. "You mean, she's not with you?"

"If she was, would I have asked if she was with you?" Jimmy retorted.

"Point taken," Clark replied. "So, what happened? Where's Linda?"

Jimmy sighed. "I don't know," he replied.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Clark asked. "She left the Daily Planet with you almost seven hours ago."

"I said I don't know," Jimmy repeated more forcefully.

Clark sighed. "So, what happened?" he asked.

"We got separated at a busy corner," Jimmy replied. "But I told her before we left the Planet that if we ever got separated to meet back at the Daily Planet or my place."

Clark sighed. "Why did you leave in the first place?" he asked.

"I wanted to show her Planet Krypton," Jimmy replied. "And take her sight-seeing. She said she never really saw Metropolis, and I wanted to give her a tour of the city." He shrugged. "Figured it'd keep us both occupied."

"And why is your phone off?" Clark asked.

Jimmy sighed. "The battery was getting low, so I'm keeping it off to charge it. Charges faster."

Clark eyed the photographer. He wasn't sure if Jimmy was telling the truth or lying. "Are you telling me the truth, Jimmy?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I'm being as honest with you as you are with me, Clark." Clark pursed his lips, sighing. "Do you need any help looking for her?"

"No," Clark replied. "I want you to stay put, in case she comes here." Jimmy nodded. "And you'll call me if she shows up, right?"

"Of course," Jimmy replied. He paused. "Keep me posted, okay?"

Clark nodded, and Jimmy closed the apartment door. Clark heard the clicks as Jimmy locked the door, and Clark stared at the door. He was tempted to 'check' on Jimmy, but he decided not to before he hurried off down the hall. He had more important things to worry about at the moment.

- - - -

About an hour later Jimmy was standing at the stove, stirring a wooden spoon in a pot of boiling water and noodles. He whistled softly, trying to concentrate on making sure the noodles didn't stick while keeping an ear out for the stove timer; he had fishsticks baking, and he didn't want them to burn.

Linda slowly padded in, looking groggy, her face slightly pale, her eyes a bit cloudy. She yawned softly. "Smells good," she said softly.

Jimmy looked over. "What are you doing out of bed?" he asked. He glanced at her bare feet. "And where are the socks I let you borrow?"

"They were too big," Linda replied, shrugging. "And I'm hungry."

"I will bring you your food," Jimmy said. He pointed the spoon at her. "Now, get back in bed and stay there, otherwise I'll put you in myself and sit on you." Linda looked at him wide-eyed. "And don't try that on me. Won't work this time. Now, go back to bed."

Linda grumbled under her breath, but she turned and left the kitchen. Jimmy tried not to smile, and he managed to keep a straight face, but as soon as she was gone, he snickered. She was a little devil for trying to use her looks against him, but she was just as cute as ever. Part of him hoped she'd challenge him - he would have loved getting a little rough with her and putting her in her place, especially after all the trouble she managed to cause.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Jimmy sighed, thinking it was Clark, coming to harass him again. He knew it was because Clark was worried about Linda, and he couldn't fault him for that, but he still slightly resented the reporter. He turned off the burner and used pot holders to transfer the pot to another burner. The stove timer went off, and Jimmy pulled the cookie sheet off, setting it on a rack so the fish sticks could cool. He removed the pot holders and set them aside, then he walked to the door. He didn't bother looking through the peephole and unlocked the door before opening it.

Jimmy stood frozen, wide-eyed, mouth hanging open. He didn't know what to say as he stared at the man standing in front of him, dressed in jeans, a red plaid shirt, and dirty work boots. Hands were stuffed in the worn work jacket, and a pair of blue eyes stared at the young photographer, eyeing him with an expression that Jimmy recognized as a slow-building fury.

"Where is my daughter?" Jonathan asked, his voice low with edge.

Jimmy didn't know what to say, wondering if he was in a dream - or a nightmare, as the case may be. "Uh . . .," he said slowly.

"Jimmy, I have driven over three hours to get here," Jonathan said, "and Clark called me and told me what you told him about an hour ago. "Now, you may not want to be honest with my son, but I seriously suggest you think before you decide to try to lie to me."

Jimmy sighed, not even in the mood anymore to fight. "She's fine."

"So, she is here?" Jonathan asked. Jimmy nodded. "How long as she been here?"

Jimmy shrugged. "A few hours." He paused. "Does Clark know I lied to him?"

"If he does," Jonathan replied, "then I don't know about it. Now, Chloe called us over three hours ago and told us what she and Clark believe happened after you two split, based on what you told Clark earlier. I want the truth, Jimmy. What happened?" Jimmy looked away. "Did you and Linda go after Winslow Scott?"

"No," Jimmy answered.

"Jimmy," Jonathan warned.

"We were just looking around, okay?" Jimmy asked. "We didn't know he'd ambush us, and we really didn't know he had Kryptonite, or we would have stayed away."

"Jimmy, what happened?" Jonathan asked. "Did you or Linda get hurt?"

Jimmy sighed, swallowing. "Linda got shot in back," he said quietly. "Three times."

Jonathan felt his stomach turn to ice, his mouth opening slightly, as he stared down at Jimmy. "Where is she?" he asked.

"My bedroom," Jimmy replied. "Resting."

Jonathan brushed past Jimmy and hurried to the bedroom. Heart pounding, he walked into Jimmy's room. He saw Linda laying on Jimmy's bed, on her back, eyes closed. "Linda?"

Linda opened her eyes, recognizing the voice. She locked eyes with her father - and she wasn't sure whether to be relieved or scared that he was there. She didn't have to wait long to figure out which emotion she should be feeling as he crossed the room to her, sat on the edge of the bed as she sat up, and hugged her as tightly as he dared.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling back, cupping her face, looking her over.

Linda nodded. "I'm fine, Daddy," she said softly. Jonathan gingerly felt her back, relieved that she didn't wince or grimace in pain, then he pulled her in for another hug, kissing her forehead. Linda was glad he wasn't mad at her as she nuzzled close to him.

"What happened?" Jonathan asked.

"We were trying to find out where Winslow Scott was," Linda replied quietly. "We were just looking around, honest. We didn't know he had Kryptonite." She looked on the verge of tears. "I didn't mean to get shot."

Jonathan sighed, stroking his daughter's hair. He was furious that she and Jimmy put themselves in danger - and very upset that Linda was shot. Still, he'd have plenty of time to let her know that she was in major trouble - and he knew his wife would be glad to lend a hand in that matter, but for now, he was glad that his daughter was safe.

"So, where are the bullets?" Jonathan asked, pulling back. "You didn't go to a hospital, did you?"

Linda shook her head. "Jimmy pulled them out," she replied. She glanced beyond Jonathan. The farmer turned and saw Jimmy standing in the doorway. He ducked out, leaving father and daughter alone. Jonathan sighed and got to his feet.

"I'll be right back," he said. He walked out and caught Jimmy in the kitchen. "We need to talk."

"I screwed up," Jimmy replied. "I already know that."

"Yes, you did," Jonathan said. "You and Linda. Let's review the facts: you two sneak off without telling anyone; go investigate something without permission; end up getting attacked by a psychotic murderer, who - for all we know - sees Linda use her powers, and shoots her with Kryptonite bullets; and instead of calling for help, you deal with it on your own, and you lie to my son about Linda's whereabouts." Jimmy looked down, and Jonathan's expression softened. "But you also saved my daughter's life, and for that, I want to thank you."

Jimmy shrugged. "I did what anyone else would have done."

"Maybe," Jonathan said, "but you were the only one there for her, and you were the one who saved her."

Jimmy didn't seem convinced as he went over to the cabinets and pulled out a Tupperware container. He started putting fish sticks in it. "Are you going to tell my mom?"

"No," Jonathan replied. "Normally, I would, but telling your mother about this would mean telling her about Linda - and you know I'm not going to do that."

Jimmy nodded as he finished putting half the fish sticks in the container, then he started preparing the Mac and cheese. Jonathan watched him make the concoction then put a few heaping spoonfuls in the container before snapping the lid shut. He handed it to Jonathan, along with a small spoon. "For Linda," the photographer said. "She hasn't eaten yet."

Jonathan nodded. "Thank you. I'll give it to her on the way home." He put the container and spoon on the counter then went back to the bedroom.. Linda was slowly putting on her shoes, looking dazed. Jonathan walked over and sat beside his daughter, helping her with her shoes. He then helped her to her feet, steadying her, wishing he could carry her like others fathers did with their daughters. He glanced over and saw Linda's bag on Jimmy's desk, and he walked over after making sure Linda was steady enough on her feet. He stuffed her sketchbook and the files in the bag before zipping it closed, then he walked over to Linda.

"Ready?" he asked. Linda nodded. Jonathan slowly walked out of the room, holding his daughter's arm to steady her. He glanced over and saw Jimmy watching from the kitchen. Jonathan was tempted to remind Jimmy to eat - he was even tempted to ask Jimmy to come back to the farm with them, but he knew Jimmy would refuse, and Jonathan's temper was very short; he didn't want to ask for fear of possibly snapping at Jimmy if he became stubborn. "Well, I guess we'll get going."

Jimmy nodded. "Did you get everything?" he asked.

Jonathan nodded. "I got her bag, and she's wearing her socks and shoes."

"Wait," Jimmy said. He walked to his bedroom, and Jonathan and Linda waited a few moments before Jimmy came back, carrying Linda's tattered and bloodied shirt and bra. He looked a little embarrassed as he handed them to Jonathan. "Don't forget these."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow as he took the garments, but he kept his mouth shut. He had figured out the moment he saw Linda wearing an unfamiliar sweatshirt - coupled with what Jimmy told him about Linda's injuries - that Jimmy had given her something else to wear. Still, seeing his daughter's undergarments . . . he couldn't help but feel a little paternally upset knowing that Jimmy had, in fact, seen his daughter topless - in his bed.

"Thank you," Jonathan simply said. He glanced at the tattered and bloodied clothes and sighed as he stuffed them into his jacket pockets. Then he put his hand around Linda's shoulders. "Come on, sweetie." He and Linda slowly walked out of the apartment, leaving Jimmy alone.

Father and daughter walked down the hallway to the stairs. They took the stairs slowly, since Linda was still wobbly, but after a few minutes the two were heading out of the building. Since there was a thin layer of ice on the concrete, the two made their way carefully to the red truck parked by the curb. Jonathan helped Linda in on the passenger's side, putting her bag beside her feet, before closing the door and heading to the driver's side. He had just gotten in and started the engine when Jimmy hurried out of the apartment building, Linda's Tupperware container and a fork in his hand. He walked over to the car, and Linda rolled down the window.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"You forgot your dinner," Jimmy answered. He handed the Tupperware and fork to Linda.

"I'm not hungry," Linda replied.

"Linda, I want you to eat it," Jimmy said. "Please promise me you'll eat it."

Linda hesitated, but then she nodded. "What about you?" she asked.

"What about me?" Jimmy asked.

"Promise me you'll eat something too?" Linda asked. "Please?"

Jimmy sighed. He was tempted to say yes, just to make her happy, but he knew he'd be breaking his promise if he did that, because he wasn't going to eat. "I'm not really hungry," he said.

"Then I'm not hungry either," Linda said, putting the container and fork on the dashboard and folding her arms.

"Okay, okay, enough of that," Jonathan replied, speaking up. He took the container and fork off the dash and handed them to Linda. "You are going to eat the food Jimmy fixed." He looked out the window at Jimmy. "Jimmy, promise me you'll eat something too, okay?" He gave Jimmy a stern look that said 'don't make me get out to get you to respond, boy.' Jimmy slowly nodded. "Thank you." He paused. "We'll call you when we get back to the farm."

Linda looked over at her father. "The farm? What about -" She shrank slightly, seeing the stern look Jonathan gave her.

"We'll call you when we get back, Jimmy," Jonathan replied. Jimmy nodded and turned to leave. "And, Jimmy?" Jimmy stopped and turned around. "The next time someone knocks on your door, would you please look through the peephole and/or ask who's there before opening the door? You never know who could be on the other side." Jimmy nodded and, turning to hide his blush, trudged back into the building. Jonathan waited until Jimmy was inside before he shifted into drive and pulled away from the curb.

"Linda, would you roll up the window?" Jonathan asked. Linda did as she was asked. "Good. You buckled in?" Linda nodded. "Good, because it's going to be a while before we get back home - and we're going to have ourselves a very long talk to pass the time." Linda's eyes widened as she shrank a little into her seat.

(End of Chapter 23) 


	24. Chapter 24

- - - -

Superman landed on his balcony and hurried into his darkened apartment faster than anyone could perceive. He had searched the entire city, even taking a stab and checking the suburbs, and he found no trace of Linda. He couldn't even feel her, and that worried him more than anything. He sighed as he changed into his civilian clothes and headed over to the phone on the living room end table, knowing his parents were probably just as worried - if not more worried - than he was. He kept thinking the worst, then he saw the flashing red light on his answering machine. He reflexively pressed the play button, and his machine rewound and played the messages.

Beep.

"Hey, Clark, it's Chloe. Just calling to check in and see how the search is going. . . please let me know if you need anything."

Beep.

"Clark, it's Lois. Chloe told me what happened. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

Beep.

"Clark, it's Perry. Keep me posted on what's going on. And when you find those kids, give 'em hell on my behalf. And tell Olsen the next time you see him that if he leaves a half done assignment left on his desk the way he did today, he can be looking for a job."

Beep.

"Hi, Mr. Kent, my name is Sally Fitzgerald from Metropolis Transit. I'm calling to inform you that we are currently running a special rate on passes for the downtown rail system. We have -"

Clark pressed the erase button, cutting off the message and skipping to the next one.

Beep.

"Clark, it's your mother. I don't know where you are, and I hope you are okay, but I wanted to let you know that your father and Linda are on their way back to Smallville. They just called. I don't know all the details, but Linda's fine, and your father asked you not to come over until tomorrow - after he and I have had a chance to talk with Linda about what happened ourselves. I love you, sweetie, and please call us when you get this message."

Clark furrowed his eyebrows as he reached for the phone, dialing his parents' number. He tapped his foot impatiently as the phone ran once . . . twice . . thr-

"Hello?"

"Mom?" Clark asked.

"Oh, Clark, thank goodness you called," Martha said.

"How's Linda? How's Dad? Where are they? What happened?"

"Clark, calm down. They're fine. I don't know all the details, but I know they are both fine."

"When did Dad come to Metropolis?"

"Right after Chloe called and told us what was going on."

"Why didn't you call me?"

Martha sighed, hearing the evident hurt and anger in her son's voice. "Your father didn't want waste time trying to track you down while you were looking for Linda."

Clark sighed. He couldn't argue with his father's logic. "So, where are they now?"

"They're bout half an hour outside of Smallville. I'll call you when they get in."

"Thanks . . .oh, uh, Mom, where did Dad find Linda?"

"She was at Jimmy's," Martha replied.

"But I was at Jimmy's before I called Dad. How -" He paused. "Wait, you don't think - I mean, I was there, and Jimmy said Linda wasn't with him." He paused. "Do you Jimmy lied to me?"

"I don't know, Clark. You'll have to talk that over with Jimmy, but right now, your father wants you to do only two things."

"What?" Clark asked.

"First of all, he wants you to make sure Jimmy's eaten something; apparently, he hasn't all day, and your father's worried he won't eat any time soon."

"Okay," Clark replied. "What else?"

"We want to deal with Linda ourselves tonight. You can bring her stuff by tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Clark said. "I'll go check on Jimmy now. I'll also let the others know that everyone's safe. I'll have my cell with me."

"Okay," Martha replied. "I love you, Clark."

"Love you too, Mom."

"Clark?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"How was Jimmy? Was he okay when you saw him?"

"He seemed okay," Clark replied. "A little out of sorts, but physically he seemed fine." He paused. "Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Jimmy told me that he and Linda got separated, and he came back to his place to wait for her."

"What's wrong, Clark?" Martha asked, picking up on the hesitation in her son's voice.

Clark sighed. "Jimmy just seemed . . . I don't know, a little off-kilter when I talked to him."

"Maybe you should talk with him about that," Martha suggested. "I'm sure he's feeling a bit left out right now."

"Why should he?"

"Because I bet no one worried about him. Did you?"

Clark paused, thinking. He sighed. "No, I guess . . . I was worried about Linda."

"I understand, but Jimmy was missing too. Just something to think about. Love you, sweetie."

"Love you too, Mom." Clark hung up and headed for the front door. He knew he could get to Jimmy's place quicker if he flew, but he wanted to think about what his mother told him, and he knew that he would get that time by taking a cab ride across town.

- - - -

Martha stood by the kitchen sink, drumming her fingers impatiently on the counter. She had heard the familiar engine drive up to its spot and park, she heard the slamming of the doors, but she forced herself to stay put, to not run out and meet her daughter before she even got past the scalloped fence. She told herself to wait and wait, but as soon as that kitchen door opened and Jonathan and Linda came walking in, all bets were off. Martha crossed the room in three strides and enveloped her daughter in the tightest hug she had ever given.

"Oh, baby, are you okay?" she asked, pulling back to look her daughter over. Linda physically looked fine, but Martha could see she was very subdued, and she figured Jonathan had given her a good talking to on the drive home.

"She's fine, Martha," Jonathan replied. He looked sternly down at his daughter. "And quite lucky to still be alive, if you ask me."

"Can we not talk about that tonight?" Linda asked quietly.

"Young lady, what do you think?" Jonathan asked.

"What happened?" Martha repeated.

Jonathan sighed. "Linda and Jimmy apparently decided to play detectives and go find Winslow Scott on their own. They found him, alright, but he ambushed them, and Linda was forced to use her powers to save herself and Jimmy."

"What?" Martha looked at Linda, her face a mixture of anger and concern.

"Don't worry," Jonathan continued. "Linda told me that she managed to use her telepathy to erase Scott's memories of her and Jimmy being there."

"Is it effective?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," Linda replied quietly. "If you do it right, you can make people forget things they never thought they could."

"Oh, that's reassuring," Martha muttered.

"Oh, it gets better," Jonathan replied. "Our daughter got herself shot three times in the back with Kryptonite bullets."

"What?!" Martha asked, looking down at her daughter. "What happened?"

"It was an accident," Linda said quietly. "I didn't mean to get shot."

"Are you okay?" Martha asked, feeling her daughter's back, checking her over herself, even though she knew Jonathan had already done the same thing.

"I'm fine, Momma," Linda said.

"Good, because you are in major trouble." Linda, wide-eyed, scrambled behind her father for protection. "Kara Linda Kent, get out here right now."

"Martha, in all fairness to Linda," Jonathan said, "I already put her through the ringer about getting shot and running off and doing something stupid and dangerous." He looked down at his daughter, sternly. "But, we didn't get a chance to talk about motive." He saw the questioning look his daughter gave him. "Tell us the truth, Linda. Did you want to go to Metropolis to see Clark or to be with Jimmy to investigate Scott."

"Do I really have to answer that?" Linda asked quietly.

"Yes," Jonathan and Martha said.

Linda sighed, hanging her head. "Yes."

"Linda, we want a straight answer," Martha said.

"I wanted to see Clark and Jimmy," Linda replied. She sighed. "But I knew you wouldn't let me go if you knew I was using Cutter and Wally's information to help Jimmy with the case."

"You're dn right we wouldn't," Jonathan replied. "Linda, how could you lie to us like that?"

"Did we give you any indication that it was okay to lie to us?" Martha asked.

"No," Linda said quietly.

Jonathan and Martha looked at each other, and Jonathan sighed, pursing his lips. Martha nodded slightly, and Jonathan turned back to his daughter. "Alright, young lady, this is what's going to happen. You are grounded for one week for lying to us."

"And one week for doing something stupid and dangerous," Martha added,

"Two weeks?" Linda asked. "But that's -"

"Do you want to make it three?" Jonathan asked sternly.

Linda shook her head. "Then I advise you to just stay quiet and listen to what we have to say. Now, during this grounding, you will not be allowed to watch television, listen to the radio, use the phone, or use your computer. You are strictly to do your chores, plus extra chores we give you, and your art work."

"You will also remain on these premises at all time," Martha added. "You will not be allowed to leave the farm unless we say it's okay."

"Is that understood?" Jonathan asked.

"Can I ask a question?" Linda whispered.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Why can I do my art work?" Linda asked. "I thought I wasn't allowed to have any fun."

"Who said anything about fun?" Martha asked. "You have a deadline of one week to get eight more pieces finished."

"Why?" Linda asked.

"Because Bruce has arranged an art show for next Thursday evening at the Talon," Jonathan replied. "He wants to showcase your work."

"Why?" Linda asked. "I'm not that good."

"Linda, honey, you have a wonderful talent," Martha replied. "And Bruce thinks so too, and he wants people to see that."

"He called us this morning and told us what he arranged," Jonathan replied. "Now, normally, you wouldn't be allowed to go, but both you and Bruce have put a lot of work into this already, and it wouldn't be right to take that from either of you."

"So, I can go?" Linda asked.

"Yes," Martha replied. "It'll be the only time you can leave the farm. Now, it's getting late, so please go get ready for bed. Your father and I will be up shortly." Linda nodded and slunk up the stairs.

"Linda," Jonathan said. Linda stopped and turned around. "We're both glad you're okay, and we still love you." Linda nodded and made her way up the stairs. Jonathan sighed and turned back to his wife. He saw she was on the verge of crying. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"We almost lost her tonight, didn't we?" Martha whispered. She didn't want to cry in front of Linda, and she couldn't hold it in any longer. She broke, and started sobbing softly.

Jonathan pulled her to him, hugging her. "Yeah," he replied, trying not to cry himself. "We almost did, and we would have if Jimmy hadn't been there. He saved her life." He leaned over and kissed Martha's forehead. "Come on, it's getting late; I think we all need to get some rest."

"We need to call Clark first," Martha replied. "And Jimmy. They both need to know that you and Linda are back safely."

"I'll call," Jonathan replied. "You go take care of Linda, and I'll join you when I'm finished."

"What are you going to tell Clark?" Martha asked. "He still doesn't know that Jimmy knows, and he doesn't know Linda was shot."

Jonathan paused. "I'll think of something." He badly wanted to tell Clark about Jimmy, but things were still not on an even keel with the young photographer, and Jonathan didn't want to add another complication to the mix. He didn't like it, but he knew it was in Jimmy's best interests - and that's something he knew was a big factor in this entire equation. "I'll be up in a few minutes." Martha nodded and headed up the stairs as Jonathan walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver, dialing his son's cell.

- - - -

"Okay," Clark said softly into his cell as he stood outside the Olsen's apartment door. "Yeah . . . uh huh. Okay, I'll be there tomorrow. Thanks for calling, Dad . . . ." He smiled a bit. "Love you too, Dad." He hung up and put his phone away, then he knocked a couple times on the closed door and waited.

"Who is it?" Jimmy asked from the other side.

"It's me, Jimmy," Clark said.

A pause, and Clark swore he heard a sigh. "What do you want, Clark?"

"I wanted to stop by and check on you," Clark replied. "Make sure you're okay, and all." He heard nothing, and he took a deep breath. "And my dad just called. He and Linda are back in Smallville, and they're both safe." He heard the clicks as Jimmy unlocked and opened the door, looking exhausted. "You okay, Jimmy?"

Jimmy brushed the question aside. "Is Linda okay?" he asked.

"Well, she's physically fine," Clark replied, "but she's tired. Dad said she confessed to what happened."

"And?" Jimmy asked. He tensed, waiting for the ball to drop, for Clark to let him in that he knew - everything. "What happened?"

"Well," Clark said slowly, "she played us all. She lied to Mom and Dad, and she basically came here with an ulterior motive."

Jimmy furrowed his eyebrows. "She said that?"

Clark shrugged. "That's what Dad said. Why?"

Jimmy shrugged. He wanted to laugh in Clark's face for being so . . . blind, but he simply shook his head. "Just doesn't seem like Linda, that's all."

"I hear you," Clark replied. "But it seems as if Linda has learned how to manipulate people . . . I think that's going to be remedied very quickly." He eyed Jimmy. "Have you eaten anything, Jimmy?" Jimmy shrugged, and Clark said. "Come on, I'll buy you dinner."

"I'm not hungry," Jimmy said.

"That wasn't a request, Jimmy. You haven't eaten all day, have you?" Jimmy shrugged again. "Okay, well, you have five minutes to go grab your coat or I stay here with you, and we order a pizza. Your call."

"Sure," Jimmy replied. "Give me a few minutes." He closed the door and reached for the lock, intending to lock Clark out. He wasn't mad . . . he just didn't have any desire to be around anyone, and he didn't think Clark could have any real desire to be around him, either.

Jimmy, don't, please.

Jimmy stopped, startled. He reflexively looked around, swearing he heard Linda's voice, then he remembered her telepathic ability. Linda, are you okay?

I'm just tired. You're not going to shut Clark out, are you?

How did you - wait, nevermind.

So, were you going to shut Clark out?

Linda, I don't want to be around anyone right now.

Well, you're hungry, and you're going to eat . . . otherwise I will tell Daddy, and you know he'll come back there and sit on you to make you eat. Now, are you going to go eat?

Do I have a choice?

Not really.

Thought so. Jimmy sighed. So, did you tell Clark that it was all your idea to go to Scott's?

Gotta run. Mom's starting to wonder why I'm taking too long brushing my teeth. Night, Jimmy. Eat and get some rest. Or else.

Jimmy narrowed his eyes. He didn't bother trying to answer, knowing Linda was already 'gone.' He also knew full well she'd follow through with her threat. He sighed as a little kid would, frustrated, and stomped to his room, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair where he threw it earlier. He shrugged into it as he made his way back into the living room. He grabbed his keys from the key rack near the door and opened the door.

"I'm ready," he grumbled, closing the door behind him. Clark watched with an eyebrow raised as Jimmy locked the door. "Come on, Clark. Let's go." He marched down the hall, and Clark hesitated for only a second before following.

(End of Chapter 24) 


	25. Chapter 25

- - - - 

Linda yawned and slowly opened her eyes. She stretched lazily and turned on her side. She was startled to see a pair of green eyes staring at her, the warm smile.

"Hey, you," Clark said softly. He wore jeans and a plaid shirt, and he was propped up on his side on the bed, watching his cousin.

"Hey," Linda said. She yawned again, looking out the window, seeing the gloomy overcast of another winter morning. "What time is it?"

"A little after eight," Clark replied.

"When did you get here?" Linda asked.

"Little while ago," Clark answered. "I took Jimmy out last night, took him home, and stayed with him all night to make sure he actually stayed put and got some rest. He seemed really tired." He took a deep breath. "So, you wanna tell me what happened?"

""When did you get here?" Linda asked.

"Little while ago," Clark answered. "I took Jimmy out last night, took him home, and stayed with him all night to make sure he actually stayed put and got some rest. He seemed really tired." He took a deep breath. "So, you wanna tell me what happened?"

"With?" Linda asked.

"Yesterday," Clark replied. "Where did you go? Mom and Dad said I needed to talk to you if I wanted to know what happened." He nodded at the outfit his baby cousin was still wearing - black sweatpants and Jimmy's sweatshirt. "And why are you wearing Jimmy's sweatshirt?"

Linda sighed, not really wanting to talk about any of what she went through yesterday, especially getting shot, but she knew she couldn't avoid Clark forever. She sighed again, hoping her little story would work. "Well, I ditched Jimmy and went looking for Scott."

"Why?" Clark asked.

"I wanted to help," Linda asked. "No one seemed to be able to find the murderer."

"And you thought you could?" Clark asked. Linda nodded slowly. "Did you?"

"Yeah, but I didn't mean to. I found his place, and then he ambushed me. He sent his toys after me."

"How did you get away?"

"I had to fight, Clark. And he saw me." Clark set his lips in a straight line, and he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Please tell me you didn't get shot," Clark said as he opened his eyes. Linda furrowed her eyebrows. "I talked with the police yesterday. They said Scott had a gun with Kryptonite bullets, and it had been fired three times." Linda looked a little uncomfortable. "Linda, what happened?"

"Well, he did fire the gun," Linda replied slowly.

"And thankfully he missed," Clark said.

"Why do you say he missed?" Linda asked.

"Because if he'd actually shot you with those bullets," Clark said seriously, "you might have died even before I could respond to your call for help." He sighed. "Linda, I'm "Well, he did fire the gun," Linda replied slowly.

"And thankfully he missed," Clark said seriously. "Linda, if he'd actually shot you with those bullets, you might have died even before I could respond to your call for help." He sighed. "I mean it, sweetie. I'm really glad you're safe, but you could have died, and you need to remember that."

Linda's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Clark gently pulled her to him, enveloping her in his arms. "I know you are."

Linda buried her head into Clark's chest, sighing softly. "Do you think Mom and Dad are really mad?"

"I think they're upset and glad you're okay," Clark replied.

Linda nuzzled closer. "I just hope . . . you know, that you still get Christmas."

Clark titled his head. "Honey, of course I'm still going to get Christmas. That's not going to change."

"Good," Linda replied. "I wouldn't want you to get into trouble for something bad that I did." She sighed. "I'll get used to it, I guess. I mean, I get Halloween back next year. Maybe I'll have Christmas next year too."

"What make you say that?" Clark asked.

"I don't deserve Christmas," she said softly. "Not after what I did. But that shouldn't mean you miss it."

Clark pulled Linda back and looked at her, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "Why do you think you don't deserve Christmas, Linda?"

"Because I don't," Linda replied. "I'm a bad girl, and bad girls don't deserve Christmas."

Clark got a determined look on his face as he cupped Linda's chin in his hands, and he looked her straight in the eye. "Now, you listen to me, and listen good, Kara Linda Kent," he said. "You are not a bad girl. You don't have a lot of common sense, but you are far from being bad. And you deserve Christmas just as much as anyone else, because it's not about the gifts or the decorations or the cookies. It's about love, and you most certainly deserve that."

Linda's eyes welled up with tears, touched by what her cousin had said. Clark pulled her into a hug, holding her close, letting her know she was safe as she cried softly onto his shoulder, her face buried in the soft warm plaid. After her sobs subsided he pulled back and looked at her, reaching up to dab her cheeks dry with his fingers.

"You okay?" Clark asked. Linda shrugged. "Well, how about we get some breakfast, and we'll see where to go from there, okay?" Linda nodded, and Clark smiled. Still holding Linda, the reporter got to his feet and carried his cousin out of the room. The two headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Jonathan was at the table, reading the morning paper and drinking his coffee. Martha was at the sink, cleaning dishes. Krypto and Streaky were eating from their food bowls. The adults both looked over as Clark walked over to the table with his precious cargo.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Jonathan replied to his daughter, smiling from behind his reading glasses as Clark set Linda in her chair. "You feeling any better?" Linda shrugged, and Jonathan raised an eyebrow.

"You hungry, Linda?" Martha asked. She nodded at the skillet on the stove. "I've got bacon and eggs."

"Just some orange juice, please," Linda replied quietly.

"Okay, what's wrong, Linda?" Jonathan asked, putting down his paper and removing his reading glasses.

"We're not going to have Christmas, are we?" Linda asked.

Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows, tilting his head. Martha stopped and turned, looking at her daughter with confusion written all over her face. She walked over, frowning slightly. Clark gave his cousin a bewildered look.

"Linda, I told you that you deserved Christmas," he said.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I should get one," Linda replied. "I haven't been good - and I'm grounded."

"Now, who made that decision?" Jonathan asked. "Because I don't remember anyone saying that was part of your punishment last night."

"But I got grounded for Halloween, and I wasn't allowed to have Halloween," Linda protested.

"There's a difference," Martha said. "Halloween isn't anywhere near as important to this family as Christmas is - and we don't stop celebrating Christmas for any reason." She smiled and pulled her daughter to her feet. She led Linda into the living room, where five large moving boxes were stacked on the couch. Linda tilted her head, seeing the black marker letters on the sides.

"What are these?" Linda asked.

"All the decorations for the house," Martha answered. "That doesn't include the handmade decorations we make every year." She smiled and put her arm around Linda's shoulders, leading her back into the kitchen. "Jonathan, I think after breakfast, we should all take Linda out." Jonathan and Clark grinned, but Linda was more confused than ever.

"But I'm grounded," Linda replied.

"Don't worry," Jonathan replied. "We're staying on the property, sweetie." He got to his feet and walked over to the porch. He stepped outside into the cold and returned a moment later with his axe. He held it up proudly, and the blade glistened in the kitchen light. "But we have a few things in this family that we all do every year."

"In layman's terms," Clark replied, "they're called traditions, Linda." He leaned over, getting a conspiratorial look on his face. "And word of warning - stay on your toes and keep your head down."

Linda stared wide-eyed at Jonathan as he held the axe in his hands, grinning. The young girl could almost hear the gears whirring in her father's head, and she glanced at the other members of her family. They shared the same grins as Jonathan, and Linda wondered what exactly this Christmas thing was all about . . . and if she'd survive to the end of it.

- - - -

The day passed quickly, but Linda knew she'd never forget anything that happened. After breakfast, the entire family bundled up and headed outside, even Streaky and Krypto. Earlier in the month Martha and Linda had made little sweaters and matching booties to keep the pets warm in the cold weather - light blue for Krypto and a soft yellow for Streaky (Streaky grudgingly accepted the ordeal after protesting - in the form of howling, spitting, and hissing - for an hour). All six Kents trudged through the snow, Jonathan leading the way over to the edge of the property, where a grove of pine trees stood. The Kent men made a big show of picking out the right tree and chopping it down while the others watched.

After bringing the tree back to the house and setting it in its stand, Jonathan and Clark placed the tree in the living room corner to the right of the fireplace while Martha and Linda made large mugs of hot cocoa and five batches of popcorn. Clark got a bundle of cut logs from the barn and started a fire in the fireplace, closing the protective mesh to keep hot ambers from floating out.

Working together, the four Kents spent the rest of the afternoon decorating the tree while Streaky and Krypto distracted themselves by getting into the boxes. Gold tinsel, white lights, glass ornaments . . . everything mesmerized Linda, and she took time pulling out each new item and studying it before hanging it up. She rummaged around in one box and tilted her head as she pulled out three large red socks with white trim. On each sock was the name of a member of her family, written on with gold glitter paint.

"What are these?" she asked, holding them up. Everyone looked over, and they smiled.

"Those are Christmas stockings," Jonathan replied, gently taking them from her. Linda watched as Jonathan hammered some small wood nails into the mantel, then he hung the three stockings up. "You put small gifts and treats in them." Linda tilted her head and admired the three stockings, pursing her lips.

Martha eyed the three stockings, frowning a bit. "Something's missing," she said. She gave a sly grin to her husband, and he grinned back as Martha headed to the den. She returned a few moments later with three folded up stockings. She unfolded them, and Linda could see a name on each of the white part, written in gold glitter paint: Linda, Krypto, and Streaky. Martha smiled and walked over as Jonathan put three more nails into the mantle, and Martha hung the three stockings beside the others. She and Jonathan stood back, smiling.

"There," Jonathan said. "It's perfect."

"I get my own stocking?" Linda whispered in awe.

"Of course," Clark replied. "Everyone in this family gets a stocking - and you and Krypto and Streaky are definitely a part of this family." Suddenly, the smile Clark had on his face faded as he got to his feet. "Uh, hold that thought. I forgot something. Be right back." Before anyone could react he blurred out of the house. The Kents heard the familiar whooshing sound. A few seconds later Clark returned, smiling. "Sorry."

"What was that all about?" Jonathan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Clark grinned even wider as he held up his right fist and opened it. Resting in his palm was a small porcelain angel girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sweet innocent grin. She wore a cute white gown, and her halo hung lopsided on her head. She held a small orange kitten and white puppy in her arms. Linda's name was scrawled on the bottom of the gown, and below that was scrawled 'Christmas 2013,' both in lavender calligraphy. He carefully hung it on a pine branch of the tree and looked satisfied. "There."

"Where did you get that?" Linda whispered as she walked over and stared at the ornament.

"I had it made in Metropolis," Clark replied, putting an arm around his cousin's shoulders and kissing her cheek.

Linda was touched, and she knew she shouldn't, but tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you, Clark," she whispered.

Clark smiled, squeezing her shoulders gently. "No problem, Short Stack. Now, let's say we get back to decorating, huh?" He eyed the popcorn on the coffee table. "We could get started on that popcorn chain." Linda smiled and nodded, and the cousins went over and started working with the popcorn while Jonathan and Martha stood back and watched with smiles on their faces before getting back to work on the tree.

It took another hour for the Kents to finish decorating the tree with the lights, the tinsel, the decorations, and the popcorn chain, then Jonathan took the final decoration - a glass star with lights in it - and put it on the top. After making sure it was on securely he plugged in the lights, and the four Kents stood back, admiring their work. They gathered up the boxes (after removing Krypto and Streaky from two of them - they had gotten into a little game of hide and seek) and put them aside to take up to the attic later. The four then sat on the couch, the kids between the parents, and they all took their shoes off, putting their wooly-socked feet on the coffee table. Krypto and Streaky made themselves comfortable on Clark and Linda's laps, curling into tight balls and falling asleep.

The four Kents just stared at the holiday scene before them - the decorated tree, the stockings hanging from the mantle, the fireplace lit, bathing the room in festive oranges and yellows. All was quiet, save for sounds of the crackling flames as they licked around the wood and the music that played softly on the radio in the corner:

_On this night   
__To this light   
__We see it all again   
__All again   
__On this winter night   
__We still wait for you   
__And now the time has come   
__When all the world is one   
__And as we mark the old year's passing   
__Strangers greet   
__On every street   
__And suddenly there's goodwill everywhere   
__There's Christmas in the air_

Jonathan and Martha glanced at their children between them and smiled when they saw both Linda and Clark had fallen asleep between them, Clark leaning against his father's side, and Linda curled up next to him. The parents shifted carefully to cocoon their children, Jonathan putting and arm around his son, and Martha wrapping her arms around Linda. The adults knew there was a lot more to do around the house, but for the time being they were going to enjoy the moment, taking the time to just reflect on Christmas, on how special the holiday was in general - and how much more special it was going to be, for all of them.

- - - -

The rest of the weekend went by rather quickly. Clark stayed to help with the decorating - mainly the outside lights and wreaths - and the chores, and Linda spent a lot of time in the fortress working on her pieces for the gallery. The adults tried not to disturb her, because she wanted her pieces to remain a surprise, but it was difficult to hide them, and it wasn't hard to see that Linda was frustrated. The three Kents tried to console her, but in a way it was a blessing - through that frustration they finally figured out what to get Linda for Christmas. While Linda was out in the barn Sunday evening, doing her chores, the Kents sat around and discussed their plan of action, Krypto and Streaky wrestling under the table. It was nearly eight in the evening when they finished worked out all the details. After saying goodbye to everyone, Clark left to go back to Metropolis. A couple hours later the rest of the Kent clan turned in for the night.

The next morning Linda woke up promptly at four-thirty. She made her bed, washed her face, and got dressed in her work clothes. She made her way down the hall and stopped when she saw the lights on in the kitchen and heard muffled voices. She recognized her parents' voices and Clark's voice, and she wanted to head down, but there was something wrong - she could feel it. She was tempted to 'eavesdrop,' but she hesitated. Still, her curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly made her way downstairs. She stopped halfway down the stairs, seeing the three Kents at the table, Clark kinda hunched over, and Martha and Jonathan on either side of him, each using a hand to rub his back consolingly. Jonathan saw Linda out of the corner of his eye, and he looked over. Linda could see he looked very distraught.

"What's wrong?" Linda asked softly. Clark and Martha looked over at the young girl, and Linda could see Martha looked just as upset as Jonathan did, but Clark actually had tears in his eyes. "Clark?"

Jonathan sighed, swallowing hard. "Linda, would you please join us at the table?" he asked softly. Linda didn't object, and she slowly made her way over, taking the chair on the other side of Jonathan. "I'm afraid we have some bad news." Linda tilted her head, confused and curious. "Honey, Clark got a call from New York this morning . . ."

(End of Chapter 25)


	26. Chapter 26

- - - -

Linda couldn't believe she was hearing what her father said. It couldn't be real, it just couldn't. She slowly shook her head. "No, that's not true," she whispered softly.

"Linda, I'm afraid it is," Clark replied, his voice cracking slightly. "I wish it wasn't, but it is."

Linda could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. "What happened?"

Jonathan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Dr. Swann developed a blood infection from a pressure wound on the back of his thigh," he said.

"Pressure wound?" Linda asked. "What's a pressure wound?"

"It's something that's common for people who can't move around a lot," Martha replied. "It's like an ulcer or a very bad blister."

"He died from a blister?" Linda asked in disbelief.

"It got infected, Linda," Jonathan answered. "His doctors tried to fight it, but it spread so fast in his body, and there was nothing they could do for him."

Linda's chin trembled, but she didn't cry. She barely knew Swann; she had no right to be upset over the passing of someone she barely knew. "Did he suffer?" she whispered, looking up at Clark.

Clark swallowed and shook his head. "No," he replied quietly. "He slipped into a coma and passed away. He didn't wake up at all, and his doctors believe he didn't feel any pain." He took a ragged breath. "I still can't believe this is happening. I mean, he was fine the last time I saw him . . . I should have been there for him."

"Clark, you can't blame yourself for this," Jonathan said.

"Your father's right, Clark," Martha replied. "There was nothing you could have done, even if you had been there. Even his doctors didn't know about the pressure wound until after he got sick." She reached over and took her son's hand, squeezing it.

"So, what do we do now?" Linda asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

Clark sighed. "We've been asked to attend the funeral," Clark replied, looking up at his cousin. "Just you and me."

"Why me?" Linda asked. "I didn't know him that well."

"Linda, you made an impression on Dr. Swann," Clark answered. "Dr. Crosby said he talked quite a bit about you."

"Dr. Crosby?" Linda asked.

"Dr. Bridgette Crosby," Clark replied. "She was Dr. Swann's emissary - representative."

"Does she know about us?" Linda asked. "Is that why we've been asked to come?"

"No," Clark replied. "When Dr. Crosby called me earlier this morning, she to me that Dr. Swann had a folder she was supposed to open if he were to die. In it was a letter, telling her to contact you and me, asking us to come to his funeral."

Linda nodded slowly, still numb from shock. "When is it?" she asked.

"Tuesday afternoon," Clark replied. He paused. "Can I go lay down? I don't feel so good."

"Of course, son," Jonathan answered. He helped his son to his feet and guided him into the living room, helping him get settled on the couch.

"Momma?" Martha looked over at her daughter. "Can I go to the funeral, even though I'm grounded?"

"Of course you can go, sweetie," Martha replied. "It's okay for you to go."

Linda nodded slowly. "Momma?"

"Yes?"

"Can I go back to bed? I don't feel so good either."

Martha nodded and got to her feet. Linda slowly stood up, and both of them headed up the stairs to Linda's room. Martha helped Linda out of her work clothes and into her soft flannel pajamas, then she guided Linda into bed and tucked her in, kissing her forehead. "Get some rest, baby." Linda nodded and closed her eyes, trying to will the tears from her eyes as she slowly fell asleep.

- - - -

Jonathan helped his son remove his shoes and socks, setting them aside on the floor. He removed Clark's glasses and put them on the table, then he lay him down on the couch, putting a pillow under his son's head. Jonathan took the afghan hanging from the back of the couch and covered Clark with it.

"Dad?" Clark whispered.

"Yes, son?" Jonathan replied, sitting on the coffee table, smoothing hair away from his son's forehead.

"What's going to happen now?"

Jonathan shook his head slightly, looking down at Clark, thinking at how much his son looked like a scared and helpless little boy instead of a strong independent man. "I wish I knew, Clark, but I don't have the slightest clue as to what's going to happen. But, I will say this: Dr. Swann was a good man, and I know I didn't trust him much in the beginning, but I'm glad you and Linda had the opportunity to meet him. He may be dead, son, but his spirit will live on for a long time."

Clark didn't smile, but his father's words did reassure him - slightly. He sighed and closed his eyes, emotionally exhausted. He drifted off to sleep as his father continued rubbing his head, whispering softly to him that it was going to be okay.

- - - -

The young girl didn't know how long she had been asleep, but she woke up a time later to some movement on her bed and a soft reassuring voice. She opened her eyes and looked around. Her room was dark (the sun was still not up), but Linda could still make out the outline of her father, and she looked over to her side and saw Clark laying beside her; Jonathan was tucking him under the sheets next to her.

Jonathan looked over and saw his daughter awake, staring up at him. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Go back to sleep, Linda," he whispered. He tucked the sheets around her. He kissed her forehead again, then kissed Clark's before heading out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Linda was tired, but she was also scared. She shifted and turned on her side, snuggling next to her cousin. She felt him shift and wrap his arms around her in a protective cocoon. She could hear Clark's thoughts, his emotions, and she was scared to know that he felt so lost and vulnerable. She wanted to ask questions, but she was too tired. She rested her head on Clark's chest, feeling his heart beating in his chest. Finding solace in her cousin's presence, and knowing he was finding solace in hers, Linda relaxed and drifted back to sleep. After a few minutes Clark followed suit.

- - - -

Monday went by like a blur to the Kent family. Clark stayed in Smallville and helped out with the chores around the farm, but it was more of a defense mechanism than anything; his heart wasn't in it like it normally was. Linda felt the same way about her chores and working on her art. Jonathan and Martha kept their distance from their children, knowing Clark and Linda wanted their space. Jonathan and Martha knew their kids wanted their space, and they respected it, but they stayed close enough to be there when Clark and Linda wanted to talk.

Tuesday morning came, and Clark and Linda were allowed to sleep in till almost nine; then they got up and had a light breakfast (they ate a piece of toast between them). After breakfast they spent the next few hours getting ready for the funeral. Clark wore a simple black suit, and Linda wore a plain black dress she borrowed from Martha. She chose a pair of matching one-inch heels from her closet, and she pulled her back with a pair of black clips. When it was time to leave Clark and Linda they said their goodbyes to their parents, heading for New York.

Clark had been told that the funeral was going to be small and private, held in a small cathedral near Swann's apartment, and he was glad that no reporters or cameras were going to be allowed at the service, The last thing he wanted to see was the press, trying to fight each other to catch every word of the ceremony and be the first to report on it; it was times like that he hated being a reporter.

With his cousin safely in his arms Clark landed unseen in an alley near the cathedral. Clark started out of the alley, but Linda grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly, looking up at him with a worried expression. He gave her a reassuring smile as he squeezed back, then he gently prodded her to follow him. The two cousins headed out of the alley, made their way across the street and climbed the stairs to the cathedral. Clark held open the door, and he and Linda walked in.

Linda remembered seeing photographs and old movies of JFK's funeral from her history class, all the pomp and circumstance over one man's death, so she was a little surprised to see how quaint and simple Swann's funeral was. There were only ten people there, excluding Clark and Linda, sitting in the front two pews. A closed casket, with flowers overflowing, was centered beyond the pews, and off to one side, a small podium. No one talked, and soft organ music played from the rafters. Clark and Linda felt out of place, and they just stood in the back, not sure what they should do.

"Clark Kent?" a feminine voice asked from behind. Clark and Linda turned around and saw a woman about Martha's age with dark brown hair hanging loosely past her shoulders. She wore a crisp black dress and matching heels, and the two Kents could tell there was a presence about her, but they couldn't tell what kind. Beside her was a younger man who appeared to be in his late thirties. He had a thin crew cut and wide brown eyes behind thick black glasses. He wore a black suit, but he seemed out of place in it, given his appearance, and he stared at the cousin intently.

"Yes," Clark replied.

"I'm Bridgette Crosby," the woman said, holding out a hand. "We talked on the phone."

"Hi," Clark replied, shaking the offered hand.

"This is my assistant, Edgar," Bridgette said, indicating the man beside her.

"Hello," Edgar spoke up. Clark nodded in response.

Bridgette glanced down at Linda, smiling. "You must be Linda." Linda smiled a bit, but she ducked her head shyly. Bridgette looked back up at Clark. "I wish we could be meeting under better circumstances, but it is nice to finally meet both of you." She glanced at something past the cousins before looking back at Clark. "The service is about to begin, but I was wondering if it would be possible to talk afterwards."

"That would be fine," Clark replied. Bridgette nodded her thanks and headed down the aisle to the front pews. Edgar followed, stealing a quick glance at the cousins. He locked eyes with Linda for a brief moment, and Linda shivered slightly at the crazed curiosity. A few moments later Clark and Linda walked down the aisle and sat in an empty pew; it was close enough so that they appeared to be part of the service but far enough away from the unfamiliar faces. Minutes passed, and then the organ music stopped, then Bridgette stood up and walked to the podium.

"I first met Virgil a long time ago," Bridgette said. "Sometimes, it seems as if it was in another lifetime. He was idealistic and wanted to use his gifts to help the world. It was almost laughable to think that he could change the world by himself, but looking back on his life, he accomplished that in more ways than any of us can comprehend. He seemed to be a very private person, but those closest to him knew who he really was. He was unselfish, caring, compassionate, and loved to challenge people to their potential. He wasn't afraid of speaking his mind, and he remained humble through his accomplishments." She allowed herself a small smile. "I think his most shining moment was after his accident. He could have given up, but he didn't. He accepted what had happened to him, but he didn't let that stand in his way, nor did he allow others to feel sorry for him. He vowed that one day he would walk again. Well, I think it's safe to say that, wherever he is, he is walking again. Godspeed, Virgil. You will remain in our hearts forever."

Linda didn't realize she was crying until a tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away, but another took its place. She wiped it away as she tried not to cry. Clark looked down at his cousin and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to him, squeezing her gently, whispering softly to her. Even through her tears Linda could hear Clark's voice as he tried not to cry himself. The two cousins stayed silent as the service continued, but they didn't pay attention to any of it.

After the service ended Clark and Linda remained in the places as the other people filtered out, leaving the two cousins alone with their thoughts. Linda slowly looked up at the casket. Wordlessly, she got to her feet, left the pew, and slowly walked down the aisle, stopping in front of the closed casket. She stared at it for a few moments, then she took a deep breath and placed her hand on a bare spot of the polished wood.

Clark's heart ached, knowing what his baby cousin was doing, and he got to his feet. He walked down the aisle and put a hand on Linda's shoulder. "You know you won't be able to feel him," he said softly.

"I know," Linda whispered. "I just want to know he's okay."

"I know," Clark said. He and Linda stared at the casket for a few seconds, then Linda suddenly broke and started crying softly, turning and gently throwing herself at her cousin. She hugged him tightly around his waist, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her, tears forming in his eyes, his voice cracking slightly as he talked. "It's okay, sweetie. Shhh."

"Mr. Kent?"

Clark looked up and saw Bridgett and Edgar cautiously approaching. Clark felt a little annoyed at having been interrupted by strangers while he was trying to comfort Linda, but the two looked very apologetic for the interruption. "What?" he asked, making sure he toned down the hostility in his voice; he knew Bridgette and Edgar wanted to talk with them after the service, but at that moment it wasn't really important. Linda had stopped her crying and was wiping her cheeks dry as she stood next to and slightly behind her cousin, letting him handle the situation.

"So, what do you need to talk about?" Clark asked.

"Dr. Swann wanted us to give you this," Bridgette replied. She held out a thick manila envelope. It was sealed tightly.

"What is it?" Clark asked, taking the envelope, staring at it.

"We don't know," Bridgette replied. "It was with Dr. Swann's will, and we were instructed to make sure that you and Linda got it." She smiled politely. "I'm sorry, but Edgar and I have matters to attend to." She nodded. "It was nice to have met both of you." Bridgette and Edgar turned and left, walking down the aisle. Clark looked at the package, curious, and he started to open it, but Linda stopped him. 

"Can we go home first?" Linda asked quietly.

Clark nodded. "Sure." He handed the envelope to her. "Why don't you hold on to this for me?" Linda nodded and took the package. She held up her free hand, and Clark took it. Together, they headed down the aisle, out of the church, and across the street. Neither of them saw Bridgette and Edgar as they headed out of the church, watching the two cousins intently as they headed into the alley across the street. A few moments later, they saw a red and blue blur shoot out of the alley skyward, followed by a familiar whooshing sound.

"Now what?" Edgar asked as they looked up.

Bridgette gave an almost smug smile. "They have what they need," she replied. "Now, we wait." Bridgette headed down the stairs and over to the limo that was parked near the curb. The driver held the door open for her. She glanced back at Edgar. "Let's go." She got in the car, and after a few moments Edgar hurried over and got in himself.

(End of Chapter 26) 


	27. Chapter 27

- - - -

"So, what is it?" Jonathan asked as he sat with his family at the kitchen table. The envelope was in the center of the stable, still sealed, and the four Kents stared at it. Krypto and Streaky were lounged on the couch, passed out.

"Not sure," Clark replied. "Linda wanted to wait until we got home to open it."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Martha asked. "Do you think Bridgette and Edgar can be trusted?"

"Edgar seemed a bit weird," Linda said softly, "but I didn't sense any hostility in either of them. They were doing what Swann wanted them to do." She sighed as she glanced at Clark. "Can we open it now?"

Clark nodded and took the envelope. He carefully opened it and reached inside, pulling out a folded up piece of paper; Clark unfolded it. "It's a letter."

"What does it say?" Jonathan asked.

"'Dear Clark and Linda,'" Clark read out loud. "'I know that if you two are reading this it means that I've passed away. Please do not be saddened by this; death is another journey in life. But I didn't create this letter to talk about me. I wanted to thank you both for being a part of my life.'

"'Clark, I have seen you grow up so much in these past years. When we first met, you were seeking answers to questions about who you were. I gave you some of those answers, but some of them you had to find by looking within yourself. You have found some of those answers, but others you have yet to find. Be patient, Clark; you will find them soon enough.'

"'Linda, I know we met only once, but I learned so much about you in that one meeting. You are more important than you give yourself credit for, and I hope one day you will see how special you really are. You possess an admirable determination. Don't ever abandon that; it will serve you well.'

"'I know that each of you have your own lives to live as you continue your journeys in this world, but don't let your independence shadow your connections with each other or your family. Few people have been successful in taking on the world alone. You can do great things, but don't be afraid to ask for help. It is the true hero who isn't scared to admit that he or she can't do it alone. Sincerely, Dr. Swann.'"

Clark's voice cracked as he finished reading the last sentence, and he put the letter down on the table, then he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Clark looked up and saw his father giving him a proud smile as tears brimmed his eyes. The two men looked over and saw Linda climbing into Martha's lap; Martha put her arms around her daughter and held her gently, rubbing her back. Linda stared at the envelope on the desk, and after a few moments she slowly tilted her head.

"What is it, Linda?" Martha asked.

Linda wordlessly reached over and grabbed the envelope. She reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of delicate rice paper. She handed it to Clark. "You should open it." Clark almost protested, but he took the paper and unfolded it. His eyebrows nearly shot off his head when he saw what was on the paper.

"Clark, what is it?" Jonathan asked.

Clark turned the paper around so the family could see it. Painted in sharp black ink was a large diamond, standing on its end. To the right of the diamond was a Yin Yang symbol consisting of a dark blue dragon for the yin part and a bright orange firebird for the yang part. A black line connected the diamond's far right point to the circle, continuing under the Yin Yang symbol and to the right for a few more inches. In the diamond – painted in the same black ink as the diamond and line - was the familiar Kryptonian symbol for Clark and Linda's biological family.

"What is that?" Martha asked as she stared in shock at the design. She didn't have to look at her husband to know he had the same expression.

"It's Kryptonian," Clark replied in slight shock. "I could be wrong, but it looks like the symbol for 'Crusade.'"

"It is the symbol for 'Crusade,'" Linda spoke up softly. She looked hesitant.

"What is it, Linda?" Clark asked.

"It also looks like the symbol for the Kryptonian element of fire," Linda answered. She noticed everyone staring at her questioningly, and she shrank a little. "Sorry, I'll be quiet."

"No, don't apologize," Jonathan replied. "Tell us what you know. It's okay, sweetie. We want to know." Linda looked unsure, and Martha squeezed her hand.

"Go on, baby," she said softly. "It's okay."

Linda took a deep breath and stared back at the drawing. "Well, if you take out the colorful circle thingy and replace it with a black circle with the line running through it, and you take out the El family symbol, then you have the Kryptonian symbol for 'Fire.'"

"But that would also be the symbol for 'Crusade,'" Clark said.

"Yeah," Linda nodded. "Some symbols were like that; they stood for more than one thing, and the context of the message dictated which meaning was used."

"So, what's the meaning here?" Martha asked. "Is it 'Crusade' or 'Fire?'"

Linda shrugged. "I don't know." She tilted her head as she reached out and lightly fingered the painting. "This painting has three different symbols on it: the 'Fire'/'Crusade' symbol, our family symbol" she pointed to the Yin Yang symbol "and this one."

"It's a Yin Yang," Clark replied. "It represents a balance between two forces."

"Like good and evil?" Linda asked.

"Yeah, that's one thing," Clark answered.

Linda stared at the painting again, pursing her lips. "I think," she said slowly, "it might be about you and Lex, Clark."

Jonathan asked, "Why do you say that, Linda?"

"Because that's what the Kawatche caves say Clark and Lex are," Linda replied. "They are the balance between good and evil."

"But it's a Chinese symbol," Clark said. "Not Kawatche."

"Yeah, but Kryptonians have visited other places on Earth," Linda replied. "Rok-Var told me."

"What other places?" Martha asked, intrigued.

Linda shrugged. "He never said, but it is possible that one of the places they visited was China." She pointed to the El symbol. "And this probably means it was one of our ancestors – or it could mean this was meant for you."

"Why not you?" Clark asked. "The letter wasn't addressed just to me."

"Because it talks about a balance," Linda replied quietly. "And Naman and Sigeeth balanced each other; there's no mention of a Nevaeh anywhere; she's totally separated from the story." She shrugged. "It doesn't matter, really. It's not like I'll ever be anyone important."

"Linda, that's not true," Martha said.

"Your mother's right," Jonathan replied. "You're not any less important because of some cave drawings."

"Yeah," Clark nodded. "And it's not like we know if we're reading into it right. Maybe it is you. I mean, after all, Nevaeh is the keeper of truth, justice, and universal order." Linda snorted softly. Clark sighed and handed the drawing to her. "Here, until we figure this out, why don't you keep an eye on it, okay?" Linda hesitated, then she nodded and took the paper.

"Can I go put this up?" Linda asked. "And get changed too? I need to get to work on my art."

"Sure, sweetie," Jonathan replied. Linda smiled briefly, gently extracted herself from Martha's lap, and headed up the stairs.

"I wish I knew why Swann gave us that drawing," Clark said.

"Maybe he didn't want you and Linda to know what it is right now," Martha replied. "Maybe he just wanted you to have it."

Clark smiled a bit. "Yeah," he said softly. He took a deep breath. "Well, I think I'm going to stick around until after dinner, then I'll head back to Metropolis. Is there anything I can help out with around here for the time being?"

"Well, your mother and I crunched some numbers while you and Linda were gone," Jonathan said. "We figured out how much Linda's gift is going to cost."

"How much?" Clark asked. Jonathan told him the price, and Clark whistled softly.

"And that includes everything we discussed," Martha added.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Clark asked.

"Well, you and I can get started on Friday," Jonathan answered. "With both of us working on it, we should be done by Saturday, Sunday at the latest."

"And I can keep Linda busy inside," Martha replied. "She wanted to help out with Christmas cooking, so that won't be a problem at all." The phone suddenly rang, and Jonathan got up to answer it.

"Hello?" he said. He raised an eyebrow. "Hi, Jimmy, how are you?" He listened, then his expression softened into a smile. "I think she'd really appreciate that. Let me go get her; hold on." He put the receiver down. Clark and Martha shared a questioning glance as Jonathan headed up the stairs.

- - - -

Linda sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning against her nightstand. She had changed into a pair of worn jeans, an old t-shirt, and a thick pair of socks. The black dress and shoes were in her closet, and she had pulled her hair into a ponytail. She held her ship key in one hand and the rice paper drawing in her other hand. She stared at them, lost in thought, trying to figure out what was going on. A knock on her door shook her from her reverie.

"Linda, are you dressed?" Jonathan asked from the other side.

"Just a second," Linda replied. She put the drawing and key in the top drawer of her nightstand and scrambled to her feet. "Come in."

Jonathan opened the door and poked his head in, smiling. "You have a phone call."

Linda looked confused. "I thought I couldn't talk on the phone."

Jonathan almost grinned. "I think this time will be an exception. Just don't be on too long." He closed the door.

Linda slowly glanced at the phone on her nightstand, then she reached out and picked up the handset. "Hello?"

"Hey," Jimmy said softly.

"Jimmy," Linda replied, smiling. "Hi."

"Linda are you on?" Jonathan asked suddenly.

"Yeah, I'm on," Linda replied.

"Okay," Jonathan said. "You have ten minutes."

"Thanks," Linda replied. She heard the click as her father hung up the downstairs phone. "So, what's up, Jimmy?"

"I was just calling to see if you're okay," Jimmy replied. "We haven't talked since Thursday, and I wanted to see how you're holding up with what happened with Dr. Swann." Linda smiled, touched that Jimmy remembered one of the things they talked about weeks ago. "So, how are you?"

"Sad," Linda replied. "Frustrated . . . confused."

"I'm sorry," Jimmy said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"You're doing great already," Linda replied. She paused, thinking. "Jimmy, maybe there's something you can do for me. Dr. Swann's assistant gave Clark and me a sealed envelope. Inside was a drawing that had a couple of Kryptonian symbols and a Yin Yang symbol on it."

"Really?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah," Linda replied. "Clark and I are having trouble figuring out which symbol it is; we need to know what the context of the drawing is before we can figure out what the symbols mean."

"You going to send me the symbol?" Jimmy asked.

"Too dangerous," Linda answered. "I don't want anyone to see it and ask questions. I can describe it for you." She gave a description of the symbol to Jimmy. "So, how does it look?"

"Why don't you check yourself?" Jimmy asked. "I want to make sure I got it right."

Linda smiled, then she checked his work telepathically and smiled when she 'saw' that his sketch was accurate. "It's perfect."

"Thanks," Jimmy replied. "So, what do you need from me?"

"I need you to look up some stuff for me," Linda replied. "I'm kinda grounded until the break's over."

"Can I ask you something about that?"

"Sure."

"Why did you let Clark believe it was all your fault?"

"Because it was," Linda replied. "It was my idea. Besides, if we told him the truth, he'd know you know, and I didn't think you were ready for that."

"Wow," Jimmy said, his voice almost a whisper. "Thanks . . . you didn't have to do that, but thanks." He paused. "So, uh, what do you need me to do?"

Linda smiled. Jimmy really was cute – even the phone. "I need you to look into extraterrestrial stories in China, especially ones with references to the symbols in the drawing."

"China?" Jimmy asked.

"Kryptonians landed in other places besides Smallville," Linda replied. "Don't know which ones though, but I think China might have been one place they were."

"Huh," Jimmy said slowly. "Yeah, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," Linda said. "I appreciate it. And be careful, please. I don't want you getting into trouble – or worse."

"I'll be careful, I promise. And no problem; I don't mind helping you at all." There was a knock on the door.

"Linda, time's up," Martha said from the other side.

"Okay," Linda replied. "Jimmy, I gotta go."

"Alright," Jimmy said. "Take care, okay?"

"You too," Linda replied. "Oh, what about the information, if you find anything? How will you let me know?"

"Don't worry about that," Jimmy replied. "I'll think of something."

"Okay," Linda said. "Bye, Jimmy."

"Bye, Linda."

Linda smiled and hung up the phone. She glanced at the door. "You can come in now, Mom."

The door opened, and Martha walked in. "So, how is Jimmy?"

"He called to check on me," Linda replied. She hadn't been told not to discuss the symbol with him, but she had a feeling her family wouldn't be too pleased, and she didn't feel like dealing with that.

"Well, that was nice of him," Martha replied. Linda nodded. "You want something to eat before heading out to the loft?"

"Can I have it in the loft?" Linda asked. "I'm a little behind, and there's not a lot of time left until Thursday night."

Martha smiled and put her arm around Linda's shoulders. "I think that could be arranged." The two headed out of the bedroom.

- - - -

The next two days were like a blur to Linda. She spent all day and most of the night working on her sculptures, breaking only to eat her meals and do some chores. She finally finished around two in the morning on Thursday, with only enough strength left in her to clean her up her supplies and cover her works so no one would see them. She trudged slowly from the barn to her bedroom and all but collapsed onto her bed and was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow. 

The next morning Linda woke up to someone gently shaking her, and a soft voice calling her name. She groggily opened her eyes and found herself looking right at her cousin. She wasn't too surprised to see him, but she was surprised to see the huge grin on his face. Normally, she would have smiled back, but she was tired and hungry, and she hadn't had a shower in two days. She simply grunted as she rolled over and buried herself under her covers. "What?" she mumbled as she yawned and closed her eyes.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" he said.

"Go away," Linda grumbled. "Let me sleep."

"Can't do that," Clark replied. "Mom's got a big plate of pancakes and bacon waiting for you, Dad made a huge cup of cocoa with extra marshmallows, and Bruce is downstairs waiting for you too."

"The show won't start for hours," Linda whined.

"Yes, but since you won't let anyone see your works," Clark replied, "that means you get the honor of showing Bruce which ones he can take." He yanked the covers from the bed and jumped on beside Linda. Acting completely out of character he grabbed her around the waist and started tickling her.

"Clark, stop it!" Linda shrieked, trying not to laugh. She managed to squirm away from her cousin – and promptly fell off the bed onto the floor. Clark grinned as he looked over the edge at his baby cousin; she looked . . . well, annoyed.

"You know, you're on the floor," Clark pointed out. Linda growled and jumped for her cousin, tackling him. He held up his hands in defense as she pummeled him with her pillow. "Hey, quit it! Ow!"

The door opened, and Jonathan walked in. He stopped short when he saw Linda pinning Clark on her bed – hitting him with her pillow. "Hey, hey," he said as he hurried over and gently pulled his daughter off his son. "What's going on?"

"He woke me up," Linda frowned at her cousin as he slowly got to his feet, brushing himself off and straightening his clothes.

"Linda," Jonathan said gently, taking the pillow from her before she caused more damage, "it's after ten. Don't you think you should be up anyway?"

"I was up late," Linda replied. "I needed to finish . . . something."

"Your art?" Clark asked. Linda shrugged and yawned. "Look, uh, Linda, I'm sorry. I was just trying to wake you up in a fun way. I didn't mean to make you grumpy."

Linda sighed. "I'm just tired, Clark, that's all. I didn't mean to get all . . . physical." She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Hey, it's cool," Clark smiled.

Jonathan smiled, glad there was peace in the house once again. "Now, Linda, why don't you go take a shower?" Linda nodded and scooted for the bathroom. Jonathan playfully swatted her bottom as she passed him, and he grinned when she shrieked and scurried from the room. "Clark, you can help your mother and me with the dishes." The two men headed out of the room, and Jonathan closed the door behind him.

(End of Chapter 27) 


	28. Chapter 28

- - - -

Half an hour later Linda all but slunk down the stairs, dressed in jeans, a plaid shirt, and work boots. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail The shower woke her up slightly, but she still felt groggy. She yawned loudly as she reached the kitchen and made her way over to the kitchen table, where Bruce sat, drinking some coffee.

"Well, look at what the cat dragged in," he smirked playfully at her.

Linda responded by grunting before looking at her mother as she came over with Linda's breakfast plate. "Can I have a gallon of coffee please?" the young girl asked.

"How about we start with a cup?" Martha suggested with a smile.

"Sure," Linda replied. She slowly started eating her breakfast while Martha went back to the coffeemaker and fixed her daughter a cup of coffee. She looked around. "Where are Dad and Clark?"

"Feeding the cows," Bruce answered, grinning. "You know, they still haven't been able to feed themselves." Linda gave him a withering look, but Bruce didn't seem fazed by it.

"They're out fixing the tractor," Martha replied, as she came to the table with Linda's mug. She handed it to her daughter, and Linda all but inhaled it. Martha smiled, seeing her daughter's content expression.

"Okay, now I feel normal," Linda replied. She started eating.

"That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?" Bruce asked.

"One should not be talking about normality when one spends his nights in a rubber bat suit," Linda retorted sweetly before taking a bite of bacon. Martha had to cover a laugh by coughing as she started cleaning the kitchen. Bruce replied with a grunt before going back to his drink.

"So, Linda, are you ready for the show tonight?" Martha asked after she was sure she could speak without laughing.

"Yeah, I guess," Linda replied. She turned to Bruce. "I'm still curious, Bruce. Why me?"

"I ask myself that question every time I work with Clark," Bruce replied wryly. Martha turned around, one eyebrow raised, and Bruce knew better than to continue with his digs. "Uh, well, Linda, because you have a rare talent."

"Right," Linda replied, not believing Bruce. "What's going on, Bruce?"

"Did you read my mind?" Bruce asked.

"I'm too tired to try something that exhausting right now," Linda replied. "All that searching takes a lot of energy, you know." Bruce was tempted to stick his tongue out, but he wouldn't allow himself to stoop to such a childish notion. "No, I didn't read your mind. I just know that sometimes people don't always mean what they say – you especially." Bruce couldn't argue with that logic. "Come on, Bruce, please?"

Bruce sighed. "Linda, you'll find out tonight. Trust me."

"Okay," Linda replied slowly. She sighed as she went back to eating. "How's Dick doing?"

"He's doing fine," Bruce answered slowly. "I mean, he's still adjusting, but you should know what that's like."

"Has he made any friends?" Linda asked.

"Not really," Bruce replied. "But I think he has his eyes on a classmate of his. Her name is Barbara Gordon." Linda looked a little confused. "She's the daughter of Commissioner Gordon."

"Oh, him," Linda nodded. She was glad she did some researching into Gotham, learning about the dark city. She ate for a few moments in silence. "Is Dick coming to the show?"

"I don't think so," Bruce replied. "He said he wasn't feeling well, and he's sorry. Alfred's going to stay and take care of him."

Linda looked disappointed, but she continued eating and finished her breakfast a few minutes later. She got to her feet, grabbing her plate and silverware. She telekinetically floated her coffee cup up beside her as she walked to the sink, handing her dishes to her mother. Bruce was still somewhat amused that no one in that household – including him - seemed fazed by a girl who could float things with her mind. "Bruce, you ready to see what I have?"

"Sure," Bruce replied, hearing the sadness in Linda's voice. He finished his drink as he got to his feet and handed the cup to Martha. He followed Linda out the kitchen door, and the two headed down the porch steps, making their way to the barn. Bruce looked down at the young girl and saw how upset she looked. He was tempted to put an arm around her and hug her briefly, but he wasn't sure what she'd think about that; it wasn't like he was her family.

"Linda," he said as they walked into the warm barn, "I know you're upset that Dick won't be here tonight, but - "

"That's not it, Bruce," Linda replied as they climbed the loft steps.

"Then what is it?" Bruce asked.

"I'm upset because you're not there with him," Linda answered calmly. "You're out here doing some stupid art show instead."

"Linda, your art isn't stupid," Bruce replied. "And Dick didn't want me to cancel it."

"So, I'm more important to you than he is?" Linda asked. She sighed as they reached the loft. "You know what? Forget it. You do what you think is best." She waved her hand around the loft. "I've got ten paintings and a sculpture. I don't know how many things you wanted."

"That should be enough," Bruce replied. "Do you mind if I look at them now?"

"Sure," Linda shrugged. "Do you mind if I go see Dad and Clark?"

"No, that's fine," Bruce replied. Linda nodded and headed down the steps, leaving Bruce to view her art. The businessman slowly made his way around the loft, looking at the young girl's works. He was genuinely impressed with her level of talent as some ideas started whirling around in his mind. He saw something large hiding in a dark corner, covered with an old blanket, and he walked over. There was an index card taped to it, with 'Do Not Look' on it. Curious, he carefully removed the blanket – and something happened that didn't usually happen with him: he was stunned beyond words.

"Wow," he whispered. He wanted to touch it, but the paint was still wet. He now knew why Linda was so tired – and why she had stayed up late to work on it. He also had an inkling why Linda didn't want anyone to see it. He normally would have heeded her wish, but he knew that this piece didn't deserve to be in a dark corner; he knew Linda needed to let others see this - for her own sake.

The businessman just stared at the work for a while, then he slowly smiled and turned, heading for the loft stairs. He knew exactly what he was going to do.

- - - -

Night had fallen, and Jonathan and Clark stood in the foyer, both dressed in crisp black suits. They were waiting patiently for Martha and Linda to join them so they could leave. Actually, Clark was waiting patiently; Jonathan kept glancing at his watch every few seconds.

Clark glanced at his father and tried not to grin. "You know, the show won't start without Linda, Dad," he said.

"I know, son," Jonathan replied. "I just think it's bad manners showing up late - to anything."

Clark shrugged. "Yeah, I know, but you know how women are."

"And just how are women?"

Clark winced before he and Jonathan looked up. It was his mother who had spoken as she and Linda walked gracefully down the stairs. Martha was dressed in an elegant black dress and matching heels, her hair pulled back into a sophisticated bun. Linda wore a dark purple dress and matching flats, and her hair was pulled back with the butterfly clips Chloe had bought for her months ago.

"Uh, women are very nice," Clark replied quickly, smiling.

"Oh, don't even start that," Martha gently chided with a smile.

"Well, might I add that both of you look very beautiful?" Jonathan asked, smiling at both his girls. His smile faded as he noticed Linda looking a little down in the dumps. "Sweetie, you okay?"

Linda shrugged. "Not really."

"You're still mad at Bruce, huh?" Clark asked.

"He should be home with Dick," Linda replied. "Not at some stupid art show"  
"Yeah, he should," Jonathan said.

"Then why is he here?" Linda asked. "I have nothing against this art show, but I should not be his first priority." She sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't even go"  
Martha put a hand on Linda's shoulder. "Baby, I know it's upsetting, but you have an obligation to be at this show. People came to see your stuff, not Bruce."

"Then can we make Bruce go home when we get there?" Linda asked.

Clark snorted. "It's actually very tempting."

"Okay, okay," Jonathan replied, smiling. "Before we plot against the sponsor of this art show, can we at least get going? It starts in fifteen minutes." The rest of the family agreed, and the Kent men helped their girls into their winter coats before they all headed out the front door.

- - - -

The red truck pulled up to the curb across the Talon. Jonathan turned the engine off, and everyone got out, glancing at the Talon. It looked no different that night than it had any other night. The only sign of anything going on inside was the marquee. It was brightly lit, with bold black letters spelling out in two lines 'Linda Kent Gallery Showing, Sponsored by Wayne Enterprises.' Linda looked a little uncertain, but she stuck with her family as they made their way across the street. A doorman held the door open for them, and the four walked in, the women checking in their coats. They stopped and looked around in slight awe.

The tables and chairs had been put into the backroom, so the area looked more spacious than usual. Men wore suits and the women fancy dresses; everyone milled about talking. Linda's seven paintings were hanging up on the columns, with special lights hanging over to illuminate them, and a large covered object sat off to one side. Soft music played on the sound system, the counter had been reverted to a snack and drink table, and the overhead lights bathed everything in a soft glow. They stood there for a few moments, not sure what to do when Bruce approaching, smiling.

"Hi," he replied cheerfully. "You're just on time."

Linda raised an eyebrow. She knew that Bruce put on a front in public, but seeing him like that seriously creeped her out. "Okay," she said, "who are you?"

Bruce chuckled a bit. "Are you ready to begin?" he simply asked.

"Are you ready to go home to take care of Dick?" Linda retorted.

"Linda," Jonathan gently warned.

Linda sighed. "Fine. Yes, I'm ready." She and Bruce headed to the center of the room, and Bruce cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. 

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I want to thank you for coming here on such short notice. As most of you are aware I am drawn to the unique as well as those in need, and that is why I felt compelled to sponsor this young woman beside me. Linda Kent is an exceptional young girl, and you have seen some of her work already, but I want to show you two things that you haven't yet." He motioned for Linda to follow him, and the two walked over to the large covered object. "The first piece is what drew me to the amazing talent she possesses, and I'm sure you'll all agree it is truly spectacular." Bruce removed the covering from the object. Everyone gasped softly as they stared in awe at the object.

The object turned out to be a statue of a large bird, made of sturdy modeling clay, and it stood roughly four feet tall. It reminded everyone of a large eagle, with the wings spread, beak open, and eyes staring down below, but there were differences. Its feathers were painted in fiery orange. It also possessed four legs and feet with talons, and it stood up on its hind legs, almost as if it was rearing up for battle. It had long yellow tail feathers with purple spots over them. A mane-like yellow tuft of feathers encircled its neck, the beak matched the tuft and tail feathers, and the eyes were bright green with blue pupils.

Linda could hear people murmuring, frowning and whispering amongst themselves, and the young girl looked crestfallen; she knew everyone hated it, otherwise they wouldn't be whispering and frowning. She glanced over at her family before walking to them, willing herself not to let tears form in her eyes.

"They hate it," she said softly.

"Oh, baby," Martha whispered, hugging her daughter. She glanced at Jonathan and Clark, and she saw the angry protective looks on their faces. The family glanced up as Bruce walked over.

"Bruce, what the hell is going on?" Jonathan said through clenched teeth.

"They don't hate it, Linda," Bruce said, ignoring Jonathan for the moment.

"They're whispering and frowning at me," Linda replied.

"Because they have no idea what it is," Bruce explained. "You need to tell them what it is." He gave her a reassuringly look. "You think you can do that?"

Linda glanced up, uncertain. "I'm not a good speaker," she said softly.

"Just tell them what it is," Clark replied. "Speak from your heart."

Linda hesitated, but she finally nodded. She took a deep breath and walked back over to the statue. She turned and faced the group. "Um," she said softly, "this is my first sculpture. It's, um, a Snagriff."

"What's a Snagriff?" someone asked.

Linda stopped. She suddenly realized she couldn't tell them what it really was: a creature from Krypton. Rok-Var had told her stories of the Snagriff when she lived in Argo City, how majestic and strong it was. She almost panicked, but she remained calm, smiling. "It's a creature from some obscure mythology that I read before starting school."

"What kind of mythology?" a woman asked. "Greek, Roman, or some other mythology?"

Linda paused for a moment, then she smiled. "All I can really say is that it predates the Phoenix," she simply replied. Technically, it was true, but there was no need to let anyone know that.

"It's very lovely," the woman said, smiling.

"Thank you," Linda replied, trying not to laugh. She glanced over at her family, and they gave her odd expressions, and that made her want to laugh more. "I think that's about it."

"Not quite," Bruce said. He walked over to the kitchen as two workers came out with another covered object on a platform with wheels on the bottom. Linda titled her head in confusion as she glanced over at her family, wondering if they had anything to do with . . . well, with whatever it was Bruce has up his sleeves. No such luck; they looked just as bewildered as she did. Everyone watched as the object was wheeled to the middle of the room and braced. Bruce motioned Linda over to him, and she walked over as everyone gathered around.

"Now," Bruce said, "this particular piece, I think, is an example of Linda's true talent. Linda's other works show that she can paint from the heart, but this work shows that she can paint from the soul." He removed the cover, and Linda gasped, putting a hand over her mouth as she stared at the all too familiar object.

The object was another sculpture, made of the same material, of a life-size wheelchair with something familiar draped over its back. The chair itself was left unpainted, but the draped object was painted a bright red, a familiar yellow S-shield centered on it; it took everyone only seconds to realize it was Superman's cape that was draped over the chair. A small blue plaque leaned against the back of the chair, and there was something written on it.

"Why don't you read with it says, Linda?" Bruce suggested.

Linda glanced up at Bruce, and he smiled down at her, encouraging her. The young girl shook her head, feeling betrayed. "How could you?" she asked.

"Linda, before you get upset just hear me out," Bruce said.

"No, because there's nothing to hear," Linda replied. "There was a note on this sculpture that said 'do not take.' Can't you even follow a simple direction?" A tear slipped down her cheek as she brushed past Bruce and made her way through the crowd, heading for the front door. Jonathan, Clark, and Martha fixed Bruce with brief hard stares before following Linda.

Linda made her way to the front door and reached to open it, but it opened suddenly, and Linda saw Jimmy standing there. He wore a black suit, with a black shirt and shoes and a white tie. His hair was slicked back, and his camera bag was slung over one shoulder. He smiled when he saw Linda, but the smile faded when he saw the tears falling down her cheeks.

"Linda, what's wrong?" he asked. Linda didn't say a word as she brushed past him, heading out of the Talon. Jimmy didn't even look over to see what had caused Linda to cry; he simply turned and hurried out after her.

Martha stopped when she saw Jimmy go after Linda, and she held up a hand, stopping Jonathan and Clark from advancing. "Wait," she said.

"Martha," Jonathan replied, "our daughter is hurting."

"I know, but let Jimmy take care of it," Martha said.

"What could Jimmy do that we can't?" Clark asked.

"Give an impartial point of view," Martha answered. "That's what Linda needs right now. In the meantime we can deal with Bruce."

Jonathan opened his mouth, but then he realized what Martha had said. He thought about that for a moment before he decided. "I have first dibs," he said as he turned and headed back toward the crowd; Martha and Clark followed.

(End of Chapter 28) 


	29. Chapter 29

- - - -

Linda, hugged herself as she turned the corner into the alley behind the Talon. She cried softly, feeling completely embarrassed and betrayed by what Bruce did. He had no right to take that statue out of the loft, no right at all. She stopped near the dumpster and leaned against the building, sobbing as tears fell from her eyes.

"Linda?" 

Linda looked up as Jimmy hurried over, worry written all over his face. "Jimmy, what are you doing here?"

"Wondering why you came out of the Talon crying," Jimmy replied. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Linda replied, brushing a strand from her face.

"Right," Jimmy said. "What's wrong?"

Linda took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Bruce totally embarrassed me in there."

"What did he do?"

"I had this statue that I made, but I put a sign on it so that Bruce wouldn't take it," Linda said. "He took it and showed it to everyone."

Jimmy furrowed his eyebrows, angry and in disbelief. "What? Why would he do that?"

"Because he's mean, that's why," Linda replied. "I don't know what Clark sees in him, because he's really just a jerk in a rubber bat suit." She stopped and gasped, realizing what she just said. She slowly glanced up at Jimmy and was surprised he didn't seem shocked; he simply smiled a bit.

"I already know," he said.

"How?" Linda asked.

Jimmy shrugged. "Well, the public knows about Superman and Batman, and Clark is friends with Bruce. Once I figured out Clark was Superman, it wasn't hard to figure out who Batman would be." He dotted a tear from her cheek. "But we're not talking about me and how I figured it out. We're talking about what Bruce did to you. You wanna talk?" 

Linda slowly nodded and hiccupped a little as she composed herself, then she told Jimmy everything, starting from why she did the sculpture in the first place to when Bruce revealed it. Jimmy listened attentively until Linda was finished. "So?" Linda asked. "What do you think?" 

"Well, do you want me to be honest?" Jimmy asked. He paused, then snorted, realizing what he just asked. "Of course you do." Linda smiled a bit. "I mean, I don't think Bruce was being vindictive or mean." Linda looked a little crestfallen. "But, he's not my number one priority; you are, and if you didn't want him to take it or show it, then he should have respected that."

"You really think so?" Linda asked.

"Of course," Jimmy replied. "Just because he's an adult, it doesn't give him the right to do whatever he wants; he didn't respect you, and he needs to be held accountable for that."

"Well, I think Dad and Mom and Clark are taking care of that," Linda replied. "That will probably take a while."

Jimmy shrugged. "I'd still like to give him a piece of my mind," he replied. Linda suddenly burst into laughter. "What? You don't think I could?"

Linda covered her mouth, snorting. "No," she replied, gasping a bit. "I have no doubt that you could. I'm just picturing you giving whatfor to Bruce in full costume." Jimmy pretended to look annoyed, but he chuckled. Linda finally calmed down after a few moments – and then she reached up and touched his slicked back hair. "Now, you going to tell me what's going on with this?" 

"What, you don't like the hair?" Jimmy asked. "I styled it just for the show tonight; I wanted to look good."

"Well, I like your other hair," Linda replied. "This looks like . . . like . . . like plastic hair off the potato man."

Jimmy looked confused, then he realized what she was talking about. He chuckled, then he ruffled his hair until it was back to normal. "How's that?" he asked, smiling.

"Much better," Linda grinned.

Jimmy smiled, blushing a little. "So, uh, you feeling okay now?"

"Yeah," Linda replied. She glanced uneasily at the Talon. "Not sure I wanna go back in just yet."

"We don't have to," Jimmy replied. "I mean, if you don't want to, we don't have to." He racked his brain, then he remembered something important. "Oh, I found some stuff on that Chinese alien stuff you asked me to look up."

"Really?" Linda asked, her eyes growing wide. "What did you find out?"

"Well, it's weird," Jimmy replied. "And that's coming from me – and my best friend is an alien, so yeah."

"I'm your best friend?" Linda asked softly.

"Well, yeah, of course," Jimmy answered. He rubbed his ear, a little embarrassed. "But if you don't want to be, I understand."

"No, no," Linda replied quickly. "I . . . it's just not something I expected." She smiled and leaned over, kissing his lips softly. "Thank you."

Jimmy tried not to get all warm and fuzzy, but he couldn't help it. "You're welcome," he replied, blushing again. He cleared his throat. "Do you still want to know about China?"

"Sure," Linda replied. "So, what did you find out?"

"Well," Jimmy said slowly, "this researcher from Germany, Hartwig Hausdorf, went on a trip to the Forbidden Zone in The Shensi Province in China in 1994. There are pyramids there."

"Like in Egypt?" Linda asked.

"Not quite," Jimmy replied. He reached into his camera bag and pulled out a sheet with printed photos on it, showing it to Linda. Linda could see the pyramids in the photos were quite different, more rounded and darker. "These are made of clay, and you can see how worn down they are, more rounded than the Egyptian pyramids. People estimated these to be around four thousand, five hundred years old, but Hausdorf mentioned in one of his books the diaries of two Australian traders who, in nineteen twelve, met an old Buddhist monk who told them these pyramids are mentioned in the five thousand year old records of his monastery as being 'very old.'"

"Meaning they've been around longer," Linda replied.

"A lot longer," Jimmy said. "Oh, you want an interesting side note? One pyramid there is as large as the Pyramid of the Sun of Teotihuacan in Mexico, which is as large as the Great Pyramid of Giza. Some incorporate the golden proportion."

"Which is a mode of geometry in that there is a relationship from the line to the spiral or the base of a multidimensional holographic fractal," Linda replied.

"You mind speaking English?" Jimmy asked. "I didn't understand a word you just said."

"I was," Linda replied. "Goober." She smiled. "In short, it's a ratio of one to one point six. It was considered to be the most aesthetically pleasing ratio in architecture, and it was started – on Earth anyway - by the ancient Greeks. Many ancient Greek buildings are based on this or multiples of this ratio, and all of Kryptonian architecture – according to Rok-Var – was based off the same priniciple."

"Alright," Jimmy replied slowly. He shook his head. "Anyway, this guy Hausdorf was in the U.S. years ago, and he talked about the Chinese pyramids - and about an extraordinary UFO crash; he called it 'the Chinese Roswell.'"

"Roswell it a big joke," Linda snorted. "It's all a sham."

"Really?" Jimmy asked. "Why do you say that?"

"Because no aliens look like what they claim to have 'autopsied," Linda replied. "There is nothing even remotely like that in the known universe."

"So, if it's not an alien, what is it?" Jimmy asked. He stopped. "Or do I not want to know?"

"I'll tell you my theory later," Linda replied. "I want to know more about these Chinese pyramids."

Jimmy chuckled. "Well, near these pyramids are lots of graves with humanoid skeletons. They did DNA testing on them, and they're not human."

"Kryptonian?" Linda asked.

"They don't say anything," Jimmy replied, "but they also found fragmented green rocks in the graves around the skeletons. Unknown alloy matching the meteor rocks found in Smallville."

"And the one Bruce traced back to Egypt," Linda added.

"Yeah," Jimmy replied. "And, if that's not enough, there were also hundreds of these granite stone disks, with strange hieroglyphs that match the symbols in the caves." He pulled out another photo, showing one stone disk. "I think you might be able to translate it."

Linda took the photo and studied it. "It talks about a landing twelve thousand years ago," she said, reading the symbols. "About strange visitors who came from the stars in strange shiny vessels . . . wielding magical powers." She furrowed her eyebrows. "They brought with them green glowing rocks that made them sick."

"Kryptonite," Jimmy replied.

Linda nodded and continued reading. She frowned. "What the . . . ?"

"What is it?" Jimmy asked.

"Further down, this is the translation," Linda answered. "'The star people brought death and destruction with them, so the people of the land rose up against them. Using the strange green rocks and pieces of the vessels – the only things that could hurt the star people – the people of the land drove the star people back to the skies.'"

"So, even back then Kryptonians were as," Jimmy replied wryly. He glanced at Linda quickly. "Uh, present company accepted."

"Thanks," Linda said. She went back to translating the photo. After a few moments, her eyebrows shot up. "Whoa."

"What now?" Jimmy asked.

"'The people of the land guarded these special weapons,'" Linda read. "And the special rock that the star people left behind."

"What special rock?" Jimmy asked.

Linda shook her head. "Doesn't say. All it says is that the people of the land will prevent the special rock from falling back into the hands of the star people – at all cost." She pointed to a point on the photo. "Look at that, Jimmy."

Jimmy glanced over to where Linda was pointing, and his eyes went wide. Linda was pointing at the symbol she had described to Jimmy earlier. "Whoa," he said. "I didn't even see that when I printed that." He looked down at Linda. So, I guess that means you were right."

"Naturally," Linda smiled. "And, if that's the case, then that also would explain the Kryptonite found in Egypt."

"And there might be a connection to Mexico," Jimmy added. "You know, since they talk about the other two locations, there might be a connection there too."

"Yeah," Linda nodded. She became serious. "Still doesn't explain what the symbol Swann gave Clark and me means; there is nothing here that gives a clue as to whether it's 'Crusade' or 'Fire.'"

Jimmy put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't sweat it, Linda; you'll figure it out." He glanced at the Talon. "You ready to go back in?"

"Can we just skip the party and go to Metropolis and get a pizza or something?" Linda asked.

"Tempting," Jimmy smiled, "but didn't people come here to see a very talented and beautiful person?" He pretended to glance around. "Do you know where she is? I wanted to get her photo for the Daily Planet."

Linda stuck her tongue out. "Fine, we'll go back in, but don't say I didn't warn you. The food in there is . . . weird."

"I'll take my chances," Jimmy grinned. Linda chuckled and handed the photos back to Jimmy, who put them back in his bag. Then, hand in hand, the two headed back down the alley.

(End of Chapter 29) 


	30. Chapter 30

- - - - 

Bruce stood near the staircase, drink in his hand, as he watched the people mill about, talking and interacting with each other. He had just taken the full brunt of the Kents as they privately lambasted Bruce in the kitchen for what he did to Linda, then they left him to his own devices as they waited for Linda to return. The businessman knew why the Kents were upset, but he couldn't help feel a little indignant as he returned to the show, taking a secluded position.

The businessman glanced up as he saw movement near the front, and his eyebrows shot up when he saw Dick, in a black suit, standing there. Linda was completely forgotten as Bruce put his drink down and headed over to the young boy, the expression on his face clearly showing how upset he was.

"Dick, what are you doing here?" he asked, keeping his voice loud enough for only Dick to hear.

"I came to see Linda's work," Dick replied softly, shrinking a little.

"And last time I checked," Bruce said, "you were sick in bed with a fever."

"And it broke this morning after you left, Master Bruce," Alfred replied as he came in, approaching the two.

"And why wasn't I informed?" Bruce asked, annoyed.

"Because it wasn't clear at the time if Master Dick would be well enough to attend," Alfred answered calmly. "I only made that decision three hours ago."

"Next time, Alfred," Bruce replied, "let me know in advance, okay?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow, knowing something else was bothering Bruce. "Master Dick, why don't you get something to eat?" he suggested. "I'm sure you're quite famished from the trip." Dick nodded and headed for the buffet table. "Master Bruce, what else is troubling you?"

Bruce sighed. "I tried to do something good, and it backfired – badly." He gave Alfred the short version of what had transpired between him and Linda, and Alfred listened patiently.

"Sir, I know your intentions were good," the butler said after Bruce finished, "but perhaps your execution was not very well-thought out."

"Yeah, and now the Kents hate me," Bruce replied. "And I know Linda wants to fry me."

"Not really." Bruce and Alfred looked over and saw Linda come in, holding one of Jimmy's hands. She gave a small smile. "I know you weren't being mean, Bruce, but I still wish you would have respected my privacy." She gave him a hesitant glance. "Can you do that in the future? Please?"

"Unless I believe your well-being's at stake," Bruce replied, "I can do that."

"So, you do like me, huh?" Linda asked, a glint of a smile in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Bruce asked.

"Doing all this," Linda replied. "You wouldn't have done it if you don't like me."

"Don't push your luck," Bruce replied. He saw Jimmy. "So, uh, who's the runt?"

"His name is Jimmy," Linda replied. "And he's not a runt; he's my best friend."

"So, you're Jimmy, huh?" Bruce asked, eyeing the young photographer, glancing back and forth, trying to find out what the attraction was between those two – and he couldn't figure it out.

"So, you're Bruce, huh?" Jimmy retorted, folding his arms.

"I'm sorry for Master Bruce's lack of manners," Alfred spoke up. He nodded, smiling. "It is nice to meet you, sir. Linda has told us a lot about you."

"This is Alfred," Linda said to Jimmy. Jimmy nodded, and then Linda suddenly furrowed her eyebrows. "Alfred, if you're here, then who's with Dick?"

"He's at the buffet table," Alfred replied, "getting some refreshments. I'm sure he would be delighted to see you, Miss Linda." Linda grinned and headed off toward the buffet, pulling Jimmy with her.

"Cute couple," Bruce said wryly. "Wonder if he knows who he's really dating."

"Something tells me it wouldn't matter if he did, sir," Alfred replied.

"If who did what?"

Bruce stiffened, recognizing the voice. He turned and put on his best smile. "Lex."

The bald businessman nodded. "Bruce." Alfred quietly excused himself, leaving Bruce to deal with Lex on his own terms.

"Glad you could make it," Bruce said.

"Cut the façade, Wayne," Lex replied quietly. "You don't want me here any more than I wanted to come."

"Then why are you here?" Bruce asked, dropping his voice too.

"I'm curious," Lex replied. "You seem awfully interested in a young girl after knowing her for only a few days." He smirked. "If I didn't know your habits, I would speculate you were interested in her talent – just not the one everyone thinks."

Bruce smiled tightly. "Well, I could say the same about you, Lex, since your curiosity involves the same fifteen-year-old girl."

"My interest is in making sure the Kent family isn't being taken advantage of," Lex replied. "And that is why I'm making a bid to purchase all of Linda's exhibits."

- - - -

Dick stuck a toothpick onto two baby carrots, attaching them together, trying to figure out how he was going to stick them to the broccoli and cauliflower he set aside.

"Too bad you don't have any glue."

Dick stood straighter, and he smiled, recognizing the voice. He put his food and toothpicks down and turned around. Linda was standing there, smiling, with Jimmy beside her. "Hey, you," he replied, leaning over and hugging her.

"Hey, yourself," Linda said, hugging her friend. They pulled away, grinning. "How are you feeling?"

Dick shrugged. "Not bad. A little tired, but not bad." He eyed Jimmy and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you again, Jimmy."

"Ditto," Jimmy replied, shaking the offered hand. He glanced at Linda briefly.

Linda caught the expression in his eyes and smiled. "He knows, Jimmy," she replied softly. She looked at Dick. "And he knows about Bruce, but Bruce doesn't know he knows about him or Clark, and Clark still doesn't know that Jimmy knows."

Dick nodded slowly. He got most of it . . . he believed. "Okay," he replied. He turned to Linda. "So, now what?"

"Why are you looking at me?" Linda asked.

"Well, this is your art show," Jimmy replied. He grinned. "Why don't you take us on a tour, huh?" He patted his bag. "I need to get some shots for the paper."

Linda raised an eyebrow, wondering if those two were team tagging against her, and then she sighed. "Sure," she replied. "Come on." She headed off for her work with the boys close behind.

- - - -

"I don't believe any of them are for sale," Bruce said.

"I'll pay one million dollars," Lex replied.

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows, his guard going up. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"Two million," Lex said.

"Lex, you can't be serious," Bruce replied.

"Three million."

"Four million," Bruce quickly said.

Lex raised an eyebrow, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "Five million."

"Six."

"Seven."

"Ten million dollars," Bruce replied, folding his arms. "For all of them."

Lex narrowed his eyes slightly, his lips set in a straight line. He really wanted to get a hold of those paintings, but he wasn't willing to continue bidding for something he knew Bruce would outbid him on at every turn. He nodded. "Fine. You can have them. I'll just go straight to the source instead."

"Actually, she's off limits too," Bruce replied.

"And why is that?" Lex asked.

"Because I've already hired her," Bruce answered. Lex stared at his business rival, trying to figure out Bruce's true motives, but Bruce didn't waver. He cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make." Everyone stopped and stared at Bruce. "It's my pleasure to announce that – with Linda's acceptance and her parents' approval – I have hired Linda to be a freelance artist for my company." Jonathan, Martha, Clark, Linda, Jimmy, and Dick stared at Bruce in shock.

"What the hell is he doing?" Jonathan whispered to his wife and Clark.

"I have no idea," Clark replied.

"In addition," Bruce continued, "I have also agreed to purchase all of Linda's exhibits for ten million dollars."

- - - -

"Did . . . did . . . did he say ten million dollars?" Jimmy squeaked. He slowly looked at Linda, and she was pale as a ghost. "Linda?" Linda managed a little squeak. Jimmy glanced at Dick. "Uh, Dick, is he really serious?"

Dick slowly nodded. "He doesn't kid . . . especially about money." He looked at Linda. "Congratulations, Linda. You just became the richest person in Smallville."

"I . . . I . . .," Linda replied. "There's gotta be a mistake." Her throat suddenly felt dry. "I need a drink."

"Me too," Jimmy said.

"Ditto," Dick added. The three walked over to the buffet table and got glasses of punch. They gulped them down simultaneously. Dick nodded. "Guys, check it out." They watched as Jonathan, Martha, and Clark walked over to Bruce and started talking to him. The three teens watched them, wishing they had superhearing to hear what was going on.

"Congratulations, Linda."

Linda suddenly felt sick to her stomach, and she nearly dropped her glass as she glanced over and saw Lex approaching them. She knew what was going on, and she quickly figured the kryptonite was on Lex, but she couldn't see it. She did her best to smile, but her body was on fire, and she really wanted to curl on her side and throw up. "Thank you, Mister Luthor," she said weakly.

Lex tilted his head. "Are you okay, Linda?" he asked.

"Linda, I told you not to eat that shrimp," Jimmy spoke up, helping support his friend around the waist. He shot Dick a look, and Dick nodded slightly, helping support Linda. "Come on, you look like you're going to hurl. Let's get you to the bathroom." The two teens helped guide Linda away from Lex as quickly as possible, heading for the door leading to the bathrooms.

Lex watched them curiously, then he looked over as Jonathan and Martha hurried after the teens. The businessman looked over and saw Bruce and Clark together, talking. He would have been curious about what those two were up to – they always seemed to be up to something – but he had other issues on his mind. He glanced at his watch, saw the time, and headed for the front, nodded a glance to Bruce and Clark as he passed them. He missed seeing Clark get shaky and weak-kneed, and Bruce subsequently put a hand on his back, steadying the reporter, as he walked out the front door, heading for the limo parked next to the curb.

"We've got to get that thing away from him," Clark said, his voice low and weak. "It's bad enough he uses that on me, but he hurt Linda."

"Take it easy, Clark," Bruce replied, his voice also low. "I'll find a way."

"I'm going to help," Clark said slowly.

"Uh huh," Bruce replied. "You can't come within ten feet of him without getting sick. You sit down and get your strength back; I'll take care of Lex." He headed for the back door as Clark took a nearby seat.

- - - -

Jimmy supported Linda as Dick took a cold wet paper towel and handed it to Jimmy. Jimmy gently dabbed Linda's cheeks, finally putting the towel on her neck and holding it there. "Just breathe, Linda," he said. "Slow deep breaths." Linda followed his instructions, and he was relieved to see she had stopped shaking, but she still looked pale. He kept flashing back to seeing her get shot – and he was really scared for her.

"Is there anything I can do?" Dick asked quietly.

"Get me some water," Linda replied weakly. "Please." Dick nodded and headed for the door, just as it suddenly opened and Jonathan and Martha hurried in. They brushed past Dick and all but pounced on their daughter as Dick and Jimmy watched.

"Linda, are you okay?" Jonathan asked.

"What happened?" Martha asked.

"Lex has kryptonite on him," Linda said. "I don't know where, but I know he does; I got sick." Jonathan and Martha glanced at each other. "What?"

"Linda," Jonathan said slowly, "Lex has a kryptonite ring; he got it a few weeks ago."

"What?" Jimmy asked, frowning. "You're just now telling her about it?"

"Jimmy," Jonathan said, "I think -"

"He's right, Mr. Kent," Dick spoke up, frowning. "You should have said something to Linda."

"You say you want to protect her," Jimmy replied, "but how can you protect her if you don't tell her about something that can kill her if she's around it long enough?" He let out a frustrated sigh. "Come on, Dick. I'll help you get Linda's water." The two boys headed out of the bathroom, leaving Linda with her parents.

"Is that true?" Linda asked. "Did you know about that ring?" She saw their expressions. "And Clark?"

"Clark was the one who told us," Martha replied.

"I don't believe this," Linda said, shaking her head, frowning. She brushed past her parents and headed out of the bathroom. She marched back into the main room and joined the two teens at the buffet table, getting glasses of water. "I'm outta here; you wanna come, then fine."

"What's going on?" Jimmy asked.

"I'm just so mad," Linda replied. "I can't be here right now."

"Where would we go?" Dick asked.

"There's a diner down the street," Linda replied. "We can go there . . . I'm hungry anyway."

Dick glanced at Jimmy. "What do you think?"

"I think I'm not going to let Linda go anywhere by herself," Jimmy replied.

"Ditto," Dick replied. They turned to Linda.

"Let's go," they both said. The trio headed for the doors, but both Alfred and Clark blocked their paths.

"And where are you three going?" Clark asked.

"To get some real food," Linda replied. "Out of our way."

"Excuse me?" Clark asked. "Linda, don't take that tone of voice with me."

"Fine, here, you can have it," Linda retorted.

"Miss, I don't know what the problem is," Alfred said calmly, "but it might be wise to show some respect for those older than you."

"Alfred," Linda replied, "I am this close" she held her index finger and thumb a small distance apart "to saying a few words that are not supposed to be in my vocabulary to Clark and my parents, but out of respect for them I am leaving to cool off. Now, if you don't mind, we're going." She brushed past the adults with Jimmy and Dick close behind, leaving Alfred and Clark standing in their proverbial dust.

(End of Chapter 30)


	31. Chapter 31

- - - - 

Lex leaned back in his seat in the back of the limo, rubbing the kryptonite ring on his finger. He was thinking about his little pet project, but his mind kept wandering back to Bruce – and how Bruce had kept him from buying Linda's work or hiring her. The businessman knew that Linda had an exceptional talent . . . and he wanted to use that to his advantage – and he hated Bruce for taking that away from him. He knew there'd be a time when he could make his move and take back what he felt was rightfully his, but he hated waiting. He took a deep breath, thankful he had his pet project to keep him occupied, and that made him smile, thinking about what he could do with it when it was finished.

The limo suddenly swerved to the right, and Lex went tumbling as the car suddenly squealed to a stop. Lex growled as he looked up at his driver, Mercy. "What the hell happened, Mercy?" Mercy didn't get a chance to answer as the driver's side window suddenly shattered, and she was yanked out. Lex heard her shouting and some scuffling, then after a few moments there was silence. "Mercy?" More silence. "Mercy?"

A gloved hand suddenly broke through the moon roof, and glass rained down on Lex; he covered his head reflexively, but it didn't last long as the glove hand grabbed Lex's tie and yanked the businessman up through the moon roof. Lex, wheezing and struggling, finally saw his attacker – Batman, glaring at him from behind the rubber cowl. He glared back at the vigilante.

"You caped lunatic!" Lex shouted. "Where's Mercy?"

"Taking a little nap," Batman replied, his voice low with edge.

Lex glanced to his left and saw Mercy laying on the side of the road, unconscious. Lex growled at Batman. "You're going to pay for this!"

"You need to get new idle threats, Luthor," Batman said.

"So, now you've resorted to following me?" Lex asked. "What, things getting boring in Gotham without any freaks to deal with?"

"I wanted to make sure your minions weren't around," Batman answered. "You have something I want, Luthor, and I'm taking it – now."

Before Lex could react Batman swiftly reached down and yanked the kryptonite ring off Lex's finger, cutting it in the process. Then he slipped the ring into a compartment on his belt and tossed Lex aside. Lex went tumbling, stopping near the unconscious Mercy. He groaned as he slowly looked up at the limo, and he did a double take. Batman was gone. Lex slowly narrowed his eyes as he growled softly. He loathed when Batman did that – and now he had another reason to despise the Gotham vigilante.

- - - -

"Man, I'm starving," Linda said as she grabbed a fourth slice of pizza loaded with pepperoni, mushrooms, and hamburger. The trio sat in a booth – Jimmy and Linda on one side and Dick on the other side - at the diner near the Talon Linda mentioned, and they had ordered a large pizza and three sodas. The place was crowded, but the three teens didn't care; they were lost in their own world. The young girl eagerly and quickly devoured it as Dick and Jimmy watched wide-eyed. She chewed and quickly swallowed, then she sighed with content, wiping her mouth with a napkin. She glanced up and saw the expressions the two were giving her. "What?"

"Never ceases to amaze me how big your appetite can be," Jimmy replied.

"You should see her at breakfast," Dick replied. "She's a piranha."

"I have," Jimmy replied. "And her two favorite foods are -"

"Pancakes and bacon," both Jimmy and Dick replied at the same time.

"Okay, that is almost freaky, you guys," Linda said. The two grinned and stared eating themselves as Linda sipped her soda. "So, what do you want to do after this?"

"We're not going to go back?" Jimmy mumbled around a mouthful of pizza.

"Not sure yet," Linda replied. "I am so mad at them right now."

"Well, you can't avoid them forever," Dick replied.

"I know," Linda said. She sighed. "Can we change the subject, please?"

"Sure," Jimmy replied. "How about your new-found wealth?"

Linda smiled wryly. "Bruce is really not going to give me ten million dollars, Jimmy."

"Yeah, he actually would," Dick replied. "He meant what he said, Linda."

"Question is, why?" Linda asked.

"I saw him talking with Lex," Jimmy answered. "They looked like they were talking about something."

"Knowing Bruce," Dick replied, his voice low, "he was probably trying to keep Lex away from you, Linda."

"That guy creeps me out," Jimmy muttered, lowering his voice. "He has it in for Clark, and he wears that kryptonite ring, and there's no telling what else he's done." He turned to Linda. "I want you to stay away from him, Linda."

"Don't worry, I will," Linda replied. She sighed. "So, what do I do now, huh? I mean, Bruce just kinda made me the richest person in Smallville . . . what do I with ten million dollars?"

"You could buy a lot of art supplies," Dick replied. He shrugged. "Or something."

"Yeah, or something," Linda said softly, her mind wondering as she grabbed another slice of pizza.

- - - -

The art show had ended, and the only people remaining behind were Jonathan, Martha, Clark, and Alfred. The four had started to clean up when Bruce came in from the back door, straightening his tie. They glanced over at him.

"Well?" Clark asked.

Bruce held up a small lead box. "Got it," he said.

"May I have it please?" Jonathan asked.

"Actually, I'm going to hang on to it for a while," Bruce replied. "You have enough kryptonite at your house; I don't think it's necessary to add another piece to the farm's inventory, do you?"

Before Jonathan could respond Linda, Dick, and Jimmy came through the front door. They stopped when they saw the adults staring at them.

"Where were you guys?" Jonathan asked.

"At Mel's," Linda answered. "Got a pizza and some sodas."

Jonathan nodded, seeing the cool looks that the teens were giving all the adults. Clark knew that Linda was mad at them for not knowing about the kryptonite ring, and he quickly figured out that was why Dick was also mad, but he couldn't quite figure out why Jimmy was upset. He thought for a moment that Jimmy might know the truth, but surely Jimmy would have said something if that was the case; why would he keep that a secret?

"Everything okay?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," Jimmy replied. He patted his camera bag. "Uh, I need to get some shots for the paper before heading back, and it's getting late." He blushed. "And, uh, I need Linda too."

Martha smiled; Jimmy was adorable when he blushed. "Go on, you two." Jimmy and Linda headed off to Linda's paintings, leaving the others to cleaning up. Every once in a while, someone would steal a glance at the two, watching as Jimmy snapped off shots of the paintings, some shots with Linda and some without. By the time the adults and Dick were done tidying up Jimmy had finished. He said his goodbyes, and Clark – knowing he had to be at work the next morning - managed to talk Jimmy into giving him a ride home. The two headed out of the Talon, leaving the six inside.

"Why didn't you tell me about Lex's ring?" Linda asked her parents. She glanced at Bruce. "Did you know about it too?"

"Linda, we didn't think you'd ever run into Lex again," Jonathan said.

"Does that really matter?" Linda asked. "What if I ever go to Metropolis again? What if Lex were to come to the farm – and you guys weren't here when he arrives? Before, it was because he might learn about my secret; now I need to avoid him, because it could literally kill me if I get near him. Jimmy was right – you can't really protect me if you don't tell me about stuff like this."

"Ah, so the runt does know," Bruce said. Linda shot him a look, and Bruce stayed quiet, but he smiled inwardly, even though he knew he shouldn't. Bruce knew from Clark's earlier expression that the reporter didn't know about Jimmy knowing the truth. It was very funny to the businessman, and he was going to revel in the fact that he knew and Clark didn't.

"Bruce," Linda said, "if you tell Clark that Jimmy knows, I will not be happy." Bruce's expression fell. "If you don't want me to read anything, then keep your mental emotions in check." She turned to her parents. "Look, I kinda understand why you did what you did, but for future reference, I don't like having things kept from me, even if it's for my 'protection.' It might seem like the right thing at the time, but it still hurts."

Jonathan sighed. "Linda," he said slowly, "you make a valid point, and you're right; we should have told you about Lex's ring. We're sorry we kept that from you, but we're not sorry for wanting to protect you; we never will be."

"I know," Linda replied. "Just frustrating . . . ."

Jonathan walked up to his daughter, hugging her gently, kissing her forehead. "Are we forgiven?" Linda nodded, smiling a bit. Jonathan smiled back. "That's my girl."

Linda glanced at Bruce. "So, did you mean it?" she asked. "Ten million dollars for my work, and a job?"

"Of course," Bruce replied.

"Bruce, that's way too much money," Martha said.

"I had no option, Mrs. Kent," Bruce replied. "Lex wanted to buy Linda's art and have her work with him; I knew you wouldn't want that."

"So, you really don't like my work, huh?" Linda asked.

Bruce sighed. "Linda, you have an amazing talent; even if Lex hadn't made an offer, I still would have, on both your work and a job offer." He raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I think having a boss who knows about your secret makes things easier, don't you think?" He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a check, handing it to Linda. "Ten million dollars, like I promised."

"Thank you," Linda replied. She grinned as she held up the check. "I am the richest person in Smallville."

"And that's going right into the bank," Jonathan added.

"Aww, Daddy, it's my money," Linda replied.

"Yes, but you can't keep ten million dollars in the house," Jonathan said. "We'll get an account in your name set up."

"And I can spend the money on anything I want?" Linda asked.

"Well," Jonathan replied slowly, "I think you should save it for college, but it is your money. You've earned it, and you have the right to do with it what you want." He held up a hand. "But, you will have to have either your mother, Clark, or myself be the adult co-signers on the account, meaning one of us has to be there when you withdraw any money."

"Why?" Linda asked.

"Because that's the law," Jonathan answered. "All minors have to have adult consent in all legal matters, and last time I checked you're still under eighteen." He glanced at Bruce. "And that goes for her job too."

"Of course," Bruce replied. "I'll have the papers dropped off first thing tomorrow morning – and I'll also have someone come by and get the paintings and statue." He glanced at the Snagriff. "So, uh, Linda, you mind explaining exactly what a Snagriff is?"

Linda smiled. "It's a Kryptonian animal. Rok-Var told me about it when I was living in Argo City. I've never seen a real picture of it, but I think that's what it's supposed to look like." She walked over and fingered the Snagriff. "Bruce . . . I know technically it's yours now, but maybe . . . could I have it back? I'm just . . . I really don't want to let this go. It's a link to Rok-Var – he was very passionate about the Snagriff."

Bruce nodded. "Actually, I just wanted the paintings. I knew that statue might have some meaning to you – as well as the other one." He smiled ever so slightly. "I'll have my movers return them as soon as possible."

"Thank you," Linda replied.

"Well, it's getting late," Martha said. "I think it might be best if we all get home."

"Yes," Bruce agreed.

"Can I have a few moments, alone?" Linda asked.

"Sure, sweetie," Jonathan replied, smiling. Linda said her goodbyes to the Gothamites – including giving them all hugs (Bruce allowed her to hug him, even though he didn't hug her back). Afterwards, everyone left, and Linda was alone in the Talon, staring at her paintings in the dim light. Her eyes fell on the wheelchair statue, and she slowly walked over. She put a hand on the blue plaque, silently reading the inscription she had sculpted into the clay:

_I believe in the extraordinary  
And the possibilities it holds,  
But I prefer to follow my own path_

_Dr. Virgil Swann (1952 to 2013)_

Linda smiled sadly. "Godspeed, Dr. Swann . . . and thank you for everything." She took a deep breath and turned, heading for the front to be with her family.

(End of Chapter 31)


	32. Chapter 32

- - - - 

A few days later, on Christmas Eve, Linda stormed into the kitchen, muttering under her breath. She had just finished her morning chores, and she was covered in dirt and smelled of hay and other barn materials.

"Morning, sweetie," Martha replied from the stove. She glanced at the wall clock. "Or, should I say, good afternoon?"

"They made me do all the chores!" Linda exploded. "Without my powers!" She sat at the table as Martha calmly poured her a cup of coffee. "And they've been working on that . . . thing under the tarp in the field for over a day now . . . why can't I look at it?"

"Because it's your Christmas present, sweetie," Martha replied calmly, handing the coffee mug to her daughter. "Trust me, it'll be worth the surprise." Linda grunted. "Now, after breakfast, why don't you go get cleaned up? We have work to do."

"What kind of work?" Linda asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Cooking," Martha answered. "For tomorrow's Christmas dinner."

"Can't we have Chinese?" Linda whined. Martha gave her a look. "Fine, fine." She downed her coffee, then she got up and headed for the stairs. Martha waited until her daughter was out of sight before snickering softly. Then she looked out the kitchen window and watched her men working on the large tarp-covered object – tools and equipment strewn around the immediate vicinity – and she smiled, knowing that Linda was definitely going to remember her first Christmas.

- - - -

Later that night, after an extremely hard day of cooking and cleaning the house – without the aid of superpowers – Linda was completely exhausted. She barely had enough energy to eat the potpie in front of her as she sat with the rest of the family at the kitchen table. She knew everyone else was trying to hide their smiles – and she was not pleased in the least.

"You're all evil," she said softly. "You know that, don't you?"

"You put in a hard day's work," Jonathan replied. "You should be proud of yourself, honey."

"I did it without powers," Linda grumbled. "How can I be proud of myself when I feel like crap?"

"Linda, please watch the language," Martha said gently.

Linda simply grunted and swayed a little as she tried to eat, then she sighed as she put down her fork. "May I be excused? I'm too tired to eat. I just wanna go to bed."

"Sure, sweetie," Jonathan replied.

"Come on, Short Stack," Clark said, getting up. "I'll even give you a lift and tuck you in." Linda wasn't in the mood to protest, so she got up and climbed on Clark's back, and Martha and Jonathan watched their children ascend the stairs.

"I'm so glad that this will be all over tomorrow," Martha said.

"I know," Jonathan replied. "But I don't think she'll mind once she sees what we got her." The phone rang, and Jonathan got up to answer it. "Hello?" He raised an eyebrow. "Hi." He listened to the caller, and Martha watched her husband's expression change over the moments from confused to a gentle smile. "That won't be a problem at all; in fact, we'd be very honored to have him . . . sure, I can take care of that now . . . no, no, no need to let him know. It'll be a surprise to him too." He nodded and chuckled. "You're quite welcome, and Merry Christmas." He hung up the phone and went to grab his coat from the coat rack.

"Where are you going?" Martha asked.

"To take care of a special Christmas favor," Jonathan replied, shrugging into his coat. He grabbed Martha's cell phone and the truck keys from the counter. "If you need me, call me."

"Should I tell Clark and Linda?" Martha asked.

"No," Jonathan answered. "It will be a surprise for them as well." He smiled before heading out the kitchen door.

- - - -

The morning sun rose over the horizon, and snow was lightly falling as Jonathan slowly climbed the stairs and walked down the hall, taking care to avoid the rickety creaks in the wood. He stopped outside Linda's closed bedroom door and took a deep breath, carefully opening the door. He poked his head – and smiled when he saw his kids sleeping soundly on their stomachs, the covers pulled up over their shoulders. Jonathan kept his eyes on them as he walked over. He leaned over his son, checked to make sure he was nice and comfortable – then he proceeded to go Jack Costanzo on Clark's bottom.

Clark snorted and opened his eyes, groggily looking around. It took him only a few moments to get his bearings and realize what his father was doing. He groaned as he buried his face in his pillow. "Dad," he said, his voice muffled, "I'm almost twenty-seven years old."

"Your point?" Jonathan asked.

Clark shook his head and pointed to Linda. "Introduce Short Stack to the tradition, Dad."

"I wanted to make sure you were up first, son," Jonathan replied.

"You're deranged, you know that?" Clark asked.

Jonathan simply grinned as he walked over to the other side of the bed. He watched his daughter sleeping soundly, knowing she was lost in some magical place. She looked so sweet and adorable all snuggled under the covers, and he almost hated to disturb her.

Almost.

The farmer deftly played his daughter's bottom like a set of bongo drums. The young girl awoke instantly, shrieking and nearly jumping into the air. She got tangled in the covers, and Jonathan couldn't help but laugh as he watched her.

"Good morning, sweetie," he said, keeping the grin on his face.

"What was that?" Linda asked, gasping, staring at her father wide-eyed.

"That's something Dad started when I was a kid," Clark replied. "You see, Linda, Christmas kinda transforms Dad into a large child, and he goes completely bonkers." He smiled sweetly at his father.

"And that includes using your tushes for drums," Jonathan added. He leaned over and kissed his kids' foreheads. "Merry Christmas, you two. Now, why don't you two head on downstairs? Got a few surprises waiting."

Linda sniffed the air. "And breakfast!" She scrambled out of the sheets and hurried out of the room. She headed down the stairs, into the living room; she knew breakfast was waiting for her in the kitchen, but she wanted to check on the living room. She stopped just inside when she saw the sight before her. The tree's lights were on, and below were quite a few presents – including a few she didn't recognize. She glanced at the fireplace and saw the fire was lit, and the seven stockings were stuffed full of goodies. The young girl did a double take; there were supposed to only be six stockings. She glanced at the name on the unfamiliar stocking at the end – 'Jimmy.'

Linda tilted her head, confused. Why was Jimmy getting a stocking if he wasn't there? She heard noise behind her and slowly turned around. There, laying on the couch on his side, curled up beneath Martha's thick blanket, hugging his pillow to him, was Jimmy; he was sound asleep, snoring slightly. Smiling, she walked over and sat on the edge of the coffee table, watching him.

"Linda?" Linda looked up as Clark and Jonathan came down the stairs. It was Jonathan who had spoken. "Don't wake him up."

"I'm just watching him," Linda replied softly. "Honest . . . what's he doing here?"

"Yeah, I thought we already settled on Linda's Christmas present," Clark added, smirking.

Jon reached over and tweaked Clark's ear. "He's here, because his mother is snowed in in Chicago," he replied. "She didn't want Jimmy to spend Christmas alone, so she called around, and we were the only family she was able to get in contact with. Couldn't say no to Jimmy, so I went to Metropolis and picked him up."

"So, he's going to be staying all day with us?" Clark asked.

"Yep," Jonathan replied.

"Cool," Clark said.

"Can we bongo him awake?" Linda asked.

"No," Jonathan and Clark replied.

"Let him rest," Jonathan added. "Come on, sweetie; there's a few things you can do before breakfast."

"Can I look at the tree?" Linda asked. "I promise, I'll be quiet." Jonathan hesitated, then he smiled and nodded. He and Clark headed into the kitchen as Linda turned to face the tree. She was so mesmerized by the decorations and the bright lights.

"Bongo?" Linda turned around and saw Jimmy slowly getting up into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Did I wake you?" Linda asked worriedly.

"No, I was kinda half awake when you came down earlier," Jimmy replied.

"So, you eavesdropped, huh?" Linda asked, smiling.

Jimmy shrugged as he got to his feet and stretched. He walked over to where she sat and held out his arms. "So, do I get a hug?" Linda grinned as she stood up and all but fell into him, hugging him around the neck, kissing his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Linda."

"Merry Christmas, Jimmy," she whispered back.

"So, you gonna tell me what you meant by 'bongo?'" Jimmy asked.

Linda smiled. "I could show you," she suggested.

Jimmy smiled back. "That's quite alright," he replied. "You can just tell me."

"How about we wait on that?" Jonathan suggested as he came in, smiling a bit. He nodded at the young photographer. "Good morning, Jimmy. Merry Christmas"

Jimmy nodded back politely, shifting a little. "Good morning, Mr. Kent. Merry Christmas."

"Did you sleep well?" Jonathan asked.

Jimmy shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

Jonathan wanted to say something to Jimmy, but he didn't want to bring it up then; it was Christmas, a special time to celebrate being with loved ones, and the last thing Jonathan wanted was to dampen anyone's spirits. He smiled brightly. "Well, there is a wonderful breakfast on the table, and after that we will open the presents."

"Yippee!" Linda squealed. "Come on, Jimmy! I'm starved!" She grabbed Jimmy's hand and skipped into the kitchen, tugging Jimmy behind her. Jonathan chuckled as he watched them, then he headed into the kitchen after them.

- - - -

After breakfast, everyone gathered in the living room, including Krypto and Streaky. Clark, Jimmy, and Linda sat on the couch; Krypto sprawled out on Jimmy's lap, and Streaky took up residence on Linda's. Martha sat in one of the rocking chairs, recording everything with a small camcorder, and Jonathan, complete with a large Santa hat on his head, stood near the mantle, trying to look as authoritative as one could with a Santa hat on his head.

"Alrighty," Jonathan said. "Since this is Linda's first Christmas ever, we need to explain how things are going to go. First order of business is to see if 'Santa' ate his cookies and drank his milk." He checked the top of the mantle, where he and Martha had put a small plate with Martha's sugar cookies and a small glass of milk the night before. The glass was empty and the plate only had crumbs on it. "And it would appear that he has indeed done that." He examined the stuffed stockings and then under the tree. "And that also means he's left all of us full stockings and presents."

"So, now what?" Linda asked, fidgeting excitedly from her spot, her eyes wide. Jonathan smiled and gently extracted Martha's stocking, handing it to his wife. Then he handed out Clark's, Linda's, and Jimmy's. Jimmy was truly surprised that he even had a stocking in the first place, much less one that was stuff like the others were. Jonathan then took his own stocking off the mantle and claimed the other rocking chair.

"Dig in, everyone," he said, and all of them proceeded to see what was in their stockings.

Inside all of their stockings was a variety of fruits and nuts, some candy canes, chocolate coins, and a chocolate marshmallow Santa, but that was where the similarities ended. In Clark's stocking was a carved piece of wood of a man and small boy in a fishing boat with fishing poles from Jonathan and pouch containing dried flowers from Martha.

"Oh, wow, thanks, Dad, thanks, Mom," Clark said, smiling.

Linda reached into her stocking and pulled out a small wooden carving of a little girl in pigtails holding a small puppy and kitten in her arms from her father; there was also a handmade apron made of fabric with chocolate chip cookies all over it folded up. She smiled at her parents. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

In Jimmy's stocking, there was a shiny gold compass - with needle always pointing west – and a hand-knitted scar that was light blue around the edges with a dark blue bar running down the center.

"Uh," Jimmy said slowly, "wow . . . uh, thanks . . . I think. But, uh, you really didn't have to."

"Jimmy," Martha replied, "we wanted to do this." She nodded at the scarf. "I started that the day after you tried sneaking back to Metropolis in the middle of the night." She smiled sweetly. "And if you ever try something like that again, I will take that scarf and strangle you with it myself."

"Tis the season to be homicidal," Clark muttered. He glanced at Jimmy and saw him pale a bit as Linda put an arm around his shoulders.

Jonathan and Martha grinned and went into their stockings, pulling out nuts and fruit, and other trinkets. In Martha's was a small jewelry box; inside lay a simple gold chain with a golden heart charm on it. Engraved on the heart was a stylized M. Martha simply smiled at her husband.

"Oh, honey, you remembered," she gushed. "Thank you."

Jonathan smiled and got up from his chair, putting his stocking on the coffee table and walking over to his wife. He knelt beside the chair, took the necklace out of the box, and helped put it around his wife's neck. Then he kissed her cheek before returning to his chair and stocking. He rummaged around in his stocking and pulled out a small red pocket knife. He smiled as he turned it over and read the inscription: 'To a wonderful whittler from his wonderful wife. Love, Martha.' He smiled lovingly up at his wife.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he said.

"Well, I knew your old one was getting dull," Martha replied. "You've had had that thing for over twenty years."

"Wow, that's old," Linda whispered to Jimmy, who allowed himself a small snicker.

"So, what does that make me?" Clark asked.

"You're ancient," Linda replied. Clark looked a little indignant.

"And what about us?" Jonathan asked, smiling.

"I think you're a little younger than the invention of the wheel," Linda replied. Jonathan and Martha knew their daughter was joking, and they grinned before going into their stockings again. They both pulled out small fifty dollar gift certificates to , made out to them from Clark.

"I figured you guys could get yourselves something," Clark replied. "Dad could get a book, and Mom could get that digital camera she's been eyeing."

"Well, it would make getting pictures up on the website easier," Martha replied. She shrugged. "Of course, if I could ever learn how to create the website in the first place . . . ." She glanced at Jimmy. "Jimmy, you're pretty knowledgeable with computers. Do you think you could help me design a website? I finally got a domain to sell the fruits and my baked goods, but I have no clue how to set it up or anything."

"Uh, sure," Jimmy replied slowly, trying not to melt into the couch.

"I'll even pay you," Martha added.

"Oh, no, you don't have to, Mrs. Kent," Jimmy said.

"I know, but I figure it's going to take a while," Martha replied. "We can work out all the details later." She smiled, and she was glad that Jimmy smiled a bit.

Clark turned to Linda and nudged her. "Okay, Short Stack, you're on." Linda pretended to ignore him, and Clark continued nudging his cousin. "Come on, Linda, it's your turn."

"Clark, knock it off," Linda muttered.

"Okay, you two, what's going on?" Jonathan asked.

"Linda hasn't given you your stocking stuffer," Clark replied. He grinned and nudged her. "Come on, Linda. Everyone's given theirs, now it's your turn."

"Come on, sweetie," Jonathan said, smiling at his daughter. "I'm sure whatever you gave us, it will be perfect."

Linda paused. "Will you promise to keep it . . . no matter what?"

"We promise," Jonathan and Martha said. For added emphasis Jonathan crossed his heart with his index finger.

Linda sighed and got to her feet. She hurried up the stairs, and everyone waited for her to return. She came back a few minutes later with a plain envelope. Silently, she walked over to her parents and handed the envelope to her father before returning to her spot on the couch. The three kids watched Jonathan open the envelope and pull out the small slip inside. He stared at it, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, then he slowly looked up at his daughter.

"You hate it, don't you?" Linda asked softly.

"No, Linda, I don't hate it," Jonathan replied.

"What is it?" Martha asked. Jonathan handed the slip to his wife. She saw what it was, then she looked up, shocked. "Linda, what on earth?"

"What is it?" Jimmy asked, curious.

"It's a check for one million dollars," Jonathan answered. He looked at his daughter. "Linda, how did you arrange this?" He glanced at Clark, who grinned at his father, and Jonathan remembered that all three of them were Linda's adult co-signers on her account. "Never mind."

"One million dollars?" Martha asked. "Clark, did you -"

"It was all Linda's idea," Clark interrupted.

"I wanted to help you guys the way you helped me," Linda said softly. "You guys have enough to worry about without having to worry about money."

"And don't even think about returning it," Clark added. "Linda said she's going to pester you until you cash it."

Jonathan and Martha simply smiled and beckoned Linda to them. Linda got up and walked over to her parents. They didn't say anything as they got to their feet and enveloped her in a gentle hug.

"Thank you, sweetie," Jonathan said softly.

"I love you, Daddy," Linda replied. "I love you, Momma." The Kents kissed Linda's forehead, and then they glanced at Jimmy and Clark.

"Are there any more stocking surprises?" Jonathan asked, smiling. Jimmy and Clark shook their heads. "Okay, that being the case . . . ." He glanced furtively at the tree and presents, then he waggled his eyebrows. "Come on, people."

Everyone but Jimmy got up and moved from their positions to sit around the tree, but Linda grabbed Jimmy's hand and pulled him over, letting him sit next to her. Everyone watched as Jonathan rummaged around under the tree. There weren't a lot of presents under the tree, but that didn't matter to them; they knew the gifts were special enough in themselves.

"Okay," Jonathan said, pulling out a small flat package. "This is from Clark to Martha." He handed it to Martha, who tore into it. Inside was a folded up quilt of Noah's ark. It was brightly colored and showed all the animals marching in two by two. Martha gasped. "Oh, Clark, it's beautiful!"

"I saw it on Ebay," Clark replied. "And I knew you'd like it."

"I love it!" Martha gushed. She kissed Clark's cheek. "Thank you, honey."

"And the second gift goes to . . ." Jonathan looked at the tag of the next gift he grabbed "Jimmy – from Linda." He smiled as he handed over the package.

Jimmy's eyebrow raised as he slowly opened the gift. He glanced over at Linda occasionally, then he sucked in his breath when he saw what the gift was: a black wool cloak and hood with black satin lining. The clasp on the front was silver and in the shape of the magical symbol for Earth – the Pentacle. Jimmy looked up in awe at Linda.

"Linda, this is . . . wow," he said softly.

"Do you like it?" Linda asked.

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, I do . . . it's really great . . . thank you." He smiled at her, and she returned the smile. Neither of them saw how the others smiled at them.

"Okay," Jonathan said after a few moments, reaching for another package and reading the label. "This one is for . . . Clark, from your mother and me."

Clark took the gift, unwrapped it, and saw a dark cherry glasses case inside. It was made of wood and hand-carved, with the initials 'CJK' embossed on the top. He opened it and laughed. The lining was made from a piece of an old flannel shirt of his. "Aw, thanks, guys," he replied, snickering.

Jonathan grinned and reached for another package. "Okay, this is for Linda from Dad, Mom, and Clark."

Linda grinned and took the package, tearing the wrapping paper away like an excited little child. The package turned out to be a large piece of wood with the words 'Artia Magistra' carved into it. She tiled her head, confused. "Um, what does it say?" she asked.

"It's Latin," Martha answered. "It means 'Mistress of Art.'"

"Yeah, Miss Guru of the Art World," Clark adding jokingly.

"Oh, wow, this is so cool," Linda said, gushing. "Thank you so much!"

The Kents grinned, and Jonathan went back to handing out gifts. He grabbed one and saw it was addressed to him from Clark. Jonathan opened the small box and saw a bunch of game tickets inside. A closer inspection saw they were season tickets to the Sharks for the following year – two for every game.

"I figure it would give us time to spend together," Clark replied, smiling.

Jonathan smiled back and put his hand on Clark's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Thank you, Clark." Clark grinned as Jonathan reached for another gift. "Mrs. Kent, this is from me to you." Martha took the gift and opened it. Inside was a small slip of paper. "That is pass for one day of spa treatment at Belle's Spa," Jonathan explained. Belle's Spa was the local spa. "That includes a massage, manicure, and other forms of pampering that you deserve."

"Oh, Jonathan," Martha smiled, "this is so sweet. Thank you, honey." She kissed Jonathan's cheek.

Jonathan grinned and grabbed another gift. It was from Martha to him. He opened the gift and saw two CDs inside. One was the soundtrack to 'A Mighty Wind,' and the other was 'John Schneider's Greatest Hits;' both of them had been autographed. "Wow, honey, just what I wanted. Thanks!" He leaned over and kissed Martha, then he reached for another gift. "Okay, Jimmy, this one is from Martha and myself," he said, handing the wrapped package to the young photographer.

Jimmy opened the large gift, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Inside lay a folded cream-colored afghan and a brand new gray 'Chaparrals' sweatshirt. Attached to the shirt was a note. Jimmy silently read it:

Jimmy,

Thank you so much for being a part of our lives, and thank you for saving our daughter's life. Please take these gifts as small tokens of our appreciation.

Love,

Jonathan and Martha Kent

"Thank you," Jimmy said softly, trying not to melt again after reading the note.

"You're welcome, Jimmy," Martha said.

"And I had better not see this shirt again unless you're in it," Jonathan added with a smile. Jimmy smiled slightly as Jonathan reached for four other packages. "Okay, these are from Jimmy for the four of us." He handed out each package to its respective owner, and the four Kents opened them. They were all photo albums, in different colors. Jonathan's was a deep blue, Martha's was a hunter green, Clark's was a deep burgundy, and Linda's was a rich plum. Their names were emblazoned in gold script. They flipped them open and saw photographs that Jimmy had taken of them over the past couple of years.

"Oh, Jimmy, honey, these are beautiful," Martha replied.

"They're not that special," Jimmy said, shrugging.

"No, Jimmy, these are great," Jonathan replied.

Clark nodded. "Yeah, Jimmy, these are . . . wow."

Linda's didn't have a lot of pictures in it, but there were little things in there that Jimmy had included: a birthday candle, a piece of wire painted fiery orange to look like it was glowing hot, and other little trinkets that meant so much to Linda and Jimmy. Linda smiled and flipped the page, seeing a handwritten note. She read it silently:

Dear Linda,

Thank you so much for being such a great friend. I know this prolly doesn't mean much, but I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have you in my life. And I don't care what you think about yourself - I'm telling you that you are the most beautiful girl I've ever known. Period.

Jimmy

Linda's eyes misted over. "Thank you," she whispered softly, leaning against him.

"No problem," Jimmy replied, putting an arm around her.

"Okay, the last gift is for Jimmy," Jonathan said after a few moments, handing the last package to Jimmy. "It's from Clark."

"And Superman," Clark added as Jimmy opened the package. Nestled inside a small box was a high-tech silver wristwatch. Everyone was confused but Clark. "It's from S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Cool," Jimmy replied slowly. "What is it?"

"It's a hypersonic wristwatch," Clark explained. "They designed it as a way to contact Superman." Everyone stared at him blankly. "Think the bat signal but with high-frequency sound that only dogs and Superman can hear."

"So, it's a dog whistle for Superman," Jimmy replied. He nodded. "Why me?"

"Because you're Superman's friend," Clark answered. "They figure if anyone should try it out, it should be you."

"Because who gets into more trouble than me?" Jimmy muttered wryly, looking down and to the side.  
"Only when you're with Linda," Cark replied, grinned.

"Gee, thanks, Clark," Linda replied wryly. She glanced over and saw Krypto and Streaky sniffing inside their stockings. Everyone watched as the pets pulled out the contents of their stockings (Krypto got a squeaky ball and dog treats; Streaky got a bag of catnip and a few furry toy mice) and suddenly went crazy, running around, playing in the discarded wrapping paper and wrestling.

"What about my gifts?" Linda asked.

"What gifts?" Martha asked.

Linda reached over for three small gifts hidden among the branches of the tree. She handed one to each of her family. The three Kents opened their gifts – and they stopped short. Inside each package were a plastic necklace, a plastic ring, a set of twelve plastic farm animals, and a glo-stick.

"I didn't have a lot of money," Linda explained, smiling, "so I went to the dollar store in town, and I saw all these things, and I knew you guys would all like these things." Her smile faded. "You do like them, right?"

Martha genuinely smiled. "Oh, honey, we love them," she replied.

"You did wonderful, honey," Jonathan said sincerely.

"Ditto," Clark added.

"So, I guess now the gifts are over, huh?" Linda asked after they started cleaning up the wrapping paper.

"Not quite," Jonathan said, smiling. "There's one more gift, sweetie." He nodded to her sign. "Why don't we all get bundled up and go hang that sign up, okay?"

Linda looked confused, but she nodded. They all grabbed their coats and shoes from where they had been put in the closet, and got dressed. Linda grabbed her sign, and everyone followed Jonathan out the kitchen door. They walked down the steps, but instead of going toward the drive, they headed toward the north pasture, where Jonathan and Clark had been working on the mysterious object. The object was still covered with tarps, but all the ladders, tools, equipment, and building objects were gone. Jonathan and Clark headed over to the object, still covered with tarp and stood next to it, turning around, as Martha, Jimmy, and Linda watched from the white scalloped fence.

"Kara Linda Kent," Jonathan said, "we tried for so long to figure out what we were going to get you for Christmas, and we almost ran out of time, but we finally came up with the perfect gift – and we hope you like it." The two Kent men removed the tarps from the object, and Linda's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she gasped softly.

(End of Chapter 32)


	33. Chapter 33

- - - - 

Linda stood in shock, her mouth hung open, speechless at what she saw before her. She tried to think of something to say or do, but her mind was not functioning. After what seemed like an eternity she slowly glanced over at Jimmy, hoping he could offer any suggestions on what to do, but he looked just as shell-shocked as she felt. She felt a gentle nudge on her right side, and she glanced up, seeing her mother smiling down at her.

"Go on," she said softly.

"What is it?" Linda asked softly. She was very impressed at what her father and cousin had built, especially in such a short amount of time; she just had no idea what she was impressed about.

"Why don't we go inside and see?" Clark suggested, grinning. Linda started over, but Jonathan held up a hand, stopping his daughter in her tracks.

"Sweetie, remember when we watched 'The Wizard of Oz?'" he asked.

"Yeah," Linda replied slowly.

"You have to do what Dorothy did," Clark replied. He grabbed a broom and started sweeping away a portion of snow from the ground, revealing a small brick path. It was really well made, but the bricks were painted yellow.

Linda groaned. "You have got to be joking me." Clark walked over and picked up his baby cousin, setting her down on the path. "Clark, I'm not going to follow the yellow brick road."

"Then you won't get to see your present," Jonathan replied sweetly.

"That's extortion," Linda said.

"No, we just don't want you walking on the grass," Clark replied. He sighed. "Look, just give it a try, okay? If you don't like it, we'll take it out."

Linda pursed her lips, silently contemplating what to do. After a few moments she sighed. "Fine," she said. "But I refuse to skip."

"No one asked you to," Clark replied, grinning.

"No, but I know you were thinking it," Linda said, smirking. "You know, knowing you, you're probably imagining me in a blue outfit with red shoes right now."

"I thought you wanted to stay away from those two colors," Clark replied.

"Together, yeah," Linda said, "but I think I can handle a little red or blue every once in a while." She glanced at the road beneath her feet and sighed. She looked up at Jimmy and her mother. "You coming?" Martha smiled and nudged Jimmy, only coming over after Jimmy joined the Kent children.

"So, if you're Dorothy, who am I?" Jimmy asked.

Linda stood back and studied him, then she smiled. "The Scarecrow," she answered.

"Why, because my head's full of straw?" Jimmy asked.

"No, because he was Dorothy's first - and best - friend when she was lost in strange world," Linda replied softly. "He was also the one Dorothy hated saying goodbye to the most."

"But you weren't lost when we met," Jimmy replied.

"No," Linda said, "but I was in a strange world." She smiled. "Besides, the Scarecrow was found in a cornfield, which is usually near a farm . . . and we met on a farm."

"Ah, so the truth comes out now," Jimmy replied, grinning. "I'm so glad we didn't meet in a forest." He nodded at Linda's present. "You ready?" Linda nodded, and the two slowly headed down the yellow brick 'road,' hand in hand. Jonathan joined Martha and Clark as they watched the two.

"You know," Jonathan said softly, "I think I can handle those two . . . being together." He saw Martha and Clark giving him slightly surprised expressions. "What?"

"I would have thought you'd be polishing your rifle," Martha replied, smirking.

"A father only wants what's best for his little girl," Jonathan said.

"And what am I?" Clark asked, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. "Frozen peas?"

Jonathan chuckled and ruffled Clark's hair. "You already have Lois, Clark." He smiled genuinely at his son. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop making sure you have what's best for you – even if you already have it." He took a deep breath, smiling at the two teens. "Jimmy's been really good for her – and she's been good for him." With Linda's sign still in his hand, he walked over to Jimmy and Linda as they stood at the end of the brick path, looking at a large wooden door nestled in a wall made of the same yellow bricks. Three large windows lined the length of the wall right of the door, but the view inside was blocked by white blinds.

"Okay, so, what is this?" Linda asked as her family joined her and Jimmy. She tried the door, but it was locked.

"First, we have to hang the sign up," Jonathan replied. He reached up and hung the sign on the two hooks centered over the door. "There." He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a simple gold key. "This is your key. It's the only one made for this door, meaning you are the only one who controls who goes in and out."

"So, she's the Keymaster," Jimmy replied. "Does that make me the Gatekeeper?" Linda, getting the joke, chuckled, but the adults simply rolled their eyes.

"Anyhow," Jonathan said, handing the key to Linda, "you can open the door – and get your Christmas present."

Linda grinned and took the key, putting it in the lock and turning it. She flung the unlocked door open and dashed inside the building. She stopped short, frowning in confusion as she looked around the dim room. The rest of the group followed in, and Jonathan flipped on the light switch near the door. Overhead lights flooded the room in a bright glow.

The interior walls were painted in a subtle purple, so subtle that the walls looked almost white. Pushed against one wall was a set of five black metal storage cabinets. On the other side of the cabinets were two large plastic trash cans marked 'Modeling Clay.' Beside the trash cans were a set of deep bowled sinks with drying racks nailed above them. Pushed against the wall across from the cabinets and sinks were a new pottery wheel and a large polished wood easel. There were also three large specialty art floor lamps.

"Oh, my gosh," Linda whispered in awe. "This is mine?"

"Yep," Clark replied. "There's more, too." He nodded at the storage cabinets.

Linda hurried over and opened the cabinets. In each one was a large variety of paint brushes, paints, oils, sculpting tools, rags, and rolls of different sized canvases. "Did you get all these things?"

"No," Martha replied. "All the supplies and equipment are your Christmas gifts from Bruce, Dick, and Alfred."

"We just made the studio," Jonathan added. He indicated the nine windows along three of the walls, all of them covered by blinds. "You've got nine windows to get outside light and ventilation." He pointed up, and Linda saw the large skylight. "And a skylight for the same purpose. There's a switch with the light switch if you want to open it." He grinned. "And there's more." He took Linda's hand and led her over to the back wall, to a set of double doors. He opened them and flipped on a separate light switch, revealing a ten foot by thirty foot room lined with two rows of sturdy wooden shelves. "This is where you can store your finished works – and it's even large enough to put your bigger sculptures in." He nodded to the Snagriff and Dr. Swann memorial sculptures against the back wall; he and Clark had moved them there.

"It's colder," Linda replied, feeling the cool air circulating from the room.

"It's to keep your paintings from melting and fading from heat," Clark replied. He nodded to a little thermostat near the light switch. "You can adjust the temperature too, if you want it to be colder. Your workspace has a separate heating cooling system to keep your supplies from melting or hardening."

"I can't believe you did this," Linda whispered in awe.

"There's one more thing," Jonathan replied. He opened a nearby adjacent door and led his daughter outside; everyone followed the two. Linda noticed they were standing next to a ten foot by ten foot addition to the studio, made of the same colored brick material with two large wooden doors, locked with a padlock. "Now, Bruce wants you to be extra careful with this gift. I think his exact words were 'make sure she doesn't burn the farm down with it, because I don't want that hanging on my head.'" He smiled. "Your key also unlocks the padlock."

Linda walked over and used her key on the padlock. She removed the padlock and opened the double doors. She gasped softly when she saw the small room. The wall was painted the same way as the studio, but the floor was made of concrete, and there was a single light overhead. A large kiln was pushed against the back wall. "It's a kiln," she said in awe.

"It's a kiln shed, actually," Clark replied. "You can fire up your own stuff without having to go to the school to do it." He glanced over as saw Linda's eyes misting over with tears. "Linda, what's wrong?"

"This . . .," Linda replied softly. "Why?"

"Because we love you that much," Jonathan answered, putting an arm around Linda's shoulders. "And that's what Christmas is about." Linda couldn't help but start crying softly as she turned and buried her head in her father's chest. Jonathan wrapped his arms around his daughter, rubbing her back softly, whispering reassuringly in her ear. Martha and Clark joined the two, cocooning Linda. The young girl wasn't crying because she was upset; she cried because of the overwhelming feeling of love, that even though she felt she was no longer totally unworthy of being loved it still surprised her that anyone could love her that much – and expect nothing in return. Through her tears she allowed herself a small smile; she knew that Christmas would be one of her favorite – if not her favorite – Earth holiday.

After a few moments Jonathan looked over to see what Jimmy was up to. The young photographer wasn't anywhere nearby. The farmer looked around and finally saw Jimmy walking down the gravel drive. Jonathan frowned slightly as he gently extracted himself from his daughter's embrace. "Why don't you three go get breakfast ready? I'll be right back." He left his family and carefully trotted after Jimmy. The three Kents watched Jonathan for a few moments before Martha quietly steered her children toward the farmhouse.

Jimmy pulled his jacket closer around him and stuffed his hands in the pockets. He had just reached the mailbox when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

Jimmy stiffened a bit, but he turned around, facing a frowning Jonathan. "Just taking a walk," he replied.

"Uh huh," Jonathan replied in a tone that indicated he didn't believe the teenager's response.

"Honest," Jimmy replied. "You guys were busy with Linda; I didn't want to intrude on a family moment." He hung his head, looking down.

Jonathan sighed, hands on hips. "Jimmy, I'm going to let you in on something, and I want you to listen to me. I know you're angry at Martha, Clark, and me for what we did to you. Now, I know you and Clark need to work out your issues separately, but I can speak for Martha when I say that we are so sorry for what we did to you. We didn't think about how we acted toward you or the others or about how it would feel; we're still kind of new at this. It doesn't excuse what we did, but we didn't intend to treat you like we did, and we feel so horrible for that, because we did what we did not only to a fellow human being like that, but more importantly we did that to a member of our own family."

Jimmy slowly looked up, his mouth open slightly in awe. "You . . . think . . . of me . . . as . . . family?"

Jonathan nodded. "That's why we gave you the compass with the needle stuck on West. Jimmy, we know that your family situation in Metropolis is far from what you want, but we want you to know that you always have a family in Smallville to come to – day or night, it doesn't matter. We love you, son, and we'll be here for you if you need us."

Jimmy listened as he felt tears starting to fill his eyes. He tried to stop then and turned his head away, clearing his throat. Jonathan knew the boy wanted – needed – to cry and release the emotions he had kept bottled up for so long. He put his hand on Jimmy's cheek and turned the young boy's face toward him.

"Jimmy, don't keep it inside," he said softly. "The worst thing you can do is to keep it bottled inside." He put his hands on Jimmy's shoulders and leaned over, staring into the teenager's eyes. "Let it out."

It took Jimmy a few moments to really process what Jonathan had said. It had been so long since Jimmy had felt that fatherly touch or heard that fatherly assurance, and now he was being offered it again – with nothing expected in return except for acceptance. Jimmy had been fighting it for so long, and he couldn't reject it anymore. The years of anger finally broke, and Jimmy let the tears spill down his cheeks.

Jonathan gently pulled Jimmy to him and held the teenager. The young photographer's body shook as he cried into Jonathan's chest, his arms wrapped around the farmer tightly, as if his life depended on it. The farmer let Jimmy cry, whispering softly to let it all out, rubbing Jimmy's back with one hand. Both Jonathan and Jimmy knew that they still had a lot of trust to rebuild, but forgiveness was finally there – and for the time being that was all that mattered.

- - - -

Even though a big meal was planned for Christmas dinner, Christmas breakfast at the Kent house was still quite large. Having two super-powered children with super appetites, and the addition of a growing teenage boy, meant having a lot of food available to eat. The five ate their fill of Martha's fine cooking, and Martha and Jonathan went about cleaning the dishes while Clark went onto the front porch to just spend some time alone and reflect on things as he did every Christmas. He had his glasses case with him, and he stared at it as he leaned slightly against the porch rail. He knew there was more to the case than it appeared; Jonathan always added something . . . unique in each of his crafts, and Clark always enjoyed looking for his father's 'special touch.'

Clark lowered his glasses a bit and switched to x-ray vision, staring at the case. The layers disappeared, and Clark saw a layer of lead with the words 'turn over and press the sides' embossed onto the lead. Clark smiled and turned the case over, using his fingers and gently pressing the sides; a small panel on the case flipped out. Clark was impressed: the panel had been flushed so close to the rest of case that there was no sign of it being visible at all to the naked eye – even to someone with Clark's vision. The young man saw a piece of folded paper nestled in the panel, and he pulled it out, unfolding it and reading it silently:

_Dear Clark,_

_We've been through a lot of changes this year – some good, and some bad. But through it all one thing has never changed: first, your mother and I are very proud of you; we always have been, not because of your powers, but because of your heart. Everyday we see the best of you in everything you do, and we know that we couldn't have asked for a better son._

_We don't know what the New Year will bring, but we know that we will have our son there, and that you will continue to make us proud – and that we will always love you._

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad_

Clark smiled and stared at it for a few minutes before he folded it up and put it back in the panel. He closed the panel up and carefully wrapped his fingers around the glasses case, vowing that he would never part with it.

- - - -

Linda and Jimmy bundled up and ventured out into the snow, Krypto tagging along with them, as they walked in the fields. Jimmy had a medium-sized box in his hands, but he kept it close to his side, clutching it tightly. The two remained silent, just listening to the snow crunch under their feet. They made it all the way out to the property line and just leaned against the fence.

"It's been a pretty weird year, huh?" Jimmy asked after a long bout of silence.

"Since I arrived, yeah," Linda answered. She shrugged. "Don't know about before."

"Your arrival was the best thing that happened all year," Jimmy replied. "Trust me on that."

Linda smiled a bit, then her smile faded as she took a deep breath. "Jimmy, I think we need to talk."

"Yeah, I think so too," Jimmy replied. He cleared his throat. "Uh, Linda, I really like you – a lot."

"And I like you too, Jimmy," Linda said.

"But we can't be together," the two said at the same time. They stopped short and looked at each other, surprised.

"Really?" Linda asked.

Jimmy nodded. "You think so too?" he asked.

Linda nodded. "Jimmy, you're my best friend, and that's not going to change, but I've been thinking about what we talked about earlier." She sighed. "We still have a lot of things to work out. And, to be honest, I think the way my life is right now, having to deal with a new kind of relationship – even though it would be a great one – would mean taking away from the relationships I already have. And I don't think that's something I'm ready for."

Jimmy pursed his lips, nodding. "I understand."

"You're not just saying that?" Linda asked.

"Of course not," Jimmy replied. "Linda, I feel the same way. We both still have a lot of things to work out . . . and I think adding . . . adding us as a couple to the mix would just complicate things at the moment."

"Do you think we'll ever be able to have us?" Linda asked softly before looking down.

Jimmy leaned over and tilted her chin up with a finger, smiling. "I'm counting on it," he replied. He was glad Linda returned the smile.

"So, you going to tell me what's in the box or am I going to have to use my 'buzz buzz?'" Linda asked.

Jimmy chuckled, holding up the box. "It's for you, but I didn't want to give it in front of your family. They'd get a little . . . weird." He handed the box over. "It's not much, but I hope you like it."

Linda took the box and opened it. Inside was a crown of tightly woven ivy with white berries on it. She tilted her head. "What is it?"

"It's mistletoe," Jimmy replied. "I know you didn't know anything about it, and I thought you'd find it interesting. Does it fit?" Linda took out the crown and put it on her head; it fit perfectly. "Oh, good."

"So, now what?" Linda asked, glancing up. Jimmy leaned over and kissed her cheek, surprising her. "Um, I thought we agreed to be friends."

"Well, we did," Jimmy replied. "I was just following tradition."

"Tradition?" Linda asked.

Jimmy nodded. "You see, Linda, there's a lot of different myths with mistletoe. The Druids considered mistletoe to be a sacred plant and that it could cure illnesses and protect against witchcraft. The Norse believed that mistletoe was the plant of Frigga. After her son Balder was shot with an arrow tip made of mistletoe; her tears turned into the white berries on the plant, and after she healed him she kissed everyone who passed beneath the tree where it grew. The English believed kissing under mistletoe was a sign of lasting friendship and goodwill." He grinned. "I couldn't pass that up."

Linda smiled and took the crown off, putting it on Jimmy's head, then she kissed his cheek. "I can see why," she replied. She took the crown off and put it back in the box, then she set the box on the fence. She sighed and turned around, facing the field of snow, seeing the farmhouse in the distance.

"You know, there's only one thing to do now," she head Jimmy say.

"What?" Linda asked. There was silence, then she was hit on the side of her face with a snowball. Sputtering, she turned and saw Jimmy grinning, packing another snowball in his hands. "Oh, of course this is war!" She reached down to get some snow, and Jimmy pummeled her again; she shrieked as he started running away, Krypto by his side, barking and wagging his tail.

"No powers!" he said loud enough for her to hear.

Linda grinned and ran off after her best friend with her snowball, intending to smack him right in the face with it.

THE END


End file.
